Baku, Ra, to Ringu: ReBirth
by KimyouTeki
Summary: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! So, Bakura, have you ever experienced Devil's Sleep before? It's a dangerous game... If you keep dancing with Sadako, you might never wake up... WARNINGS: Yaoi, AU, OOC, ShockHorror, LOTS of character deaths.
1. You're Going to Die

o

o o

Chapter One: You're Going to Die

o o

o

Ryou set down the shopping bags so he could remove his coat. "Baku-Chan! Doko ka?"

Bakura came stomping down the stairs. "I'm right here. Stop yelling."?

"I'm sorry if I took too long. It was very crowded."

I'm not your father. I don't care where you've been."? He sauntered off to the kitchen, and Ryou followed.

Baku-Chan was standing in the doorway, staring around the kitchen. "I'm hungry."?

"I'll make us some dinner, then." Ryou set about preparing some modern foods. Bakura would just eat whatever Ryou made. If left alone, he would probably starve to death. He sat at the counter, elbows on the surface, face in hands. Ryou was wearing a frilly apron and humming Glaring Dream (the ending theme to Gravitation), smiling like a happy house wife as he made dinner. Baku-Chan watched him navigate the kitchen with practiced ease. Ra-Chan smiled or grinned almost all the time. Bakura never stopped wondering how he could do that. _I've smiled, but it was different. I've smiled at the pain and misery I've caused so many deserving fools. It wasn't a sweet, innocent smile like the one my hikari wears. I don't think I've ever smiled like that._

Ryou met Bakura's gaze. "It shouldn't take much longer, Baku-Chan."?

Bakura grunted acknowledgement, and looked at the shopping bags next to him on the counter. They weren't plastic bags from the grocery store, they were paper bags with bright patterns on them.

"Those are X-mas gifts for Yugi-tachi. Would you like to see-"

"No."? Bakura spun on the stool, stood, and marched out. "Call me when the food is ready."

o o o

After dinner, they played checkers for a while on Ryou's bed. They didn't speak much. Sometimes, Ryou would talk about his day, which bored Baku-Chan when it involved the pharaoh and his friendship cult. Other times, Bakura would discuss some plan he'd thought up to get all seven millennium items, which would upset Ryou. Nonetheless, they always listened to each other without interrupting or objecting.

"Baku-Chan, will you watch a movie with me tonight?"

"No. I've told you, those mindless plays are a waste of time and brain cells."

"This isn't a romantic comedy. It's supposed to be really scary. Anzu was telling me about it at school, and she looked like she might cry."

"You want to see something that'll scare you that badly?"

"Jouno and Honda were teasing me. They kept saying, 'Oh my gawd, you haven't seen _The Ring?_ What rock have you been living under?' Yugi lent me his copy so I could watch it, but I'm nervous. Please watch it with me."

Bakura sighed, "Alright, I'll watch it with you. I'm curious as to what modern people consider frightening."

o o o

Ryou was squeezing Bakura's hand tight enough to cut off the circulation. They were watching Naomi Watts watch the tape that kills you when you watch it. Ra-Chan kept burrowing deeper into Bakura's side. Bakura accommodated him and put his arm around Ryou's shoulder. Bakura stared unblinkingly at the eerie black and white images. They were fascinating. They gave him a strange nostalgic feeling he didn't understand. He could only guess the gory images reminded him of the shadow realm.

Later on, when Samara came throught the TV screen, Ryou sucked in a huge gasp and squeezed the hell out of Bakura. Bakura frowned._ She can come through the TV screen? I didn't know people could do that._

The credits rolled and Bakura felt Ryou trembling in his arms. Anger flared up within Bakura... he wanted to strangle that little shit Yugi. Then he heard Ryou giggling.

Sitting up, Ra-Chan wiped his eyes and let out a playful shudder. "Oh, my. It's been ages since I saw a movie that could give me such a thrill."? He leaned over and kissed Bakura on the tip of his nose. "Thank you for staying with me." He picked up the remote and snuggled up against Bakura. "There's supposed to be a mini-feature. Let's see... You wait for the menu to come on, then you press up."?

The menu's cursor disappeared, and Bakura thought the disc must be malfunctioning. He opened his mouth to say something, but was suddenly looking at something that resembled a solar eclipse. He realized they were watching the cursed tape! It was the actual feature that kills you when you watch it!

Bakura snarled and bared his teeth._ I should have known that pharaoh would try something like this! He cursed this DVD! _"Turn it off!"?

"What?"

"Maybe if we turn it off before it finishes, we won't be cursed!"

"It's just a movie- Hey!"?

Bakura snatched the remote and his finger stabbed the stop button. Tiny letters at the top of the screen read, _the function you have chosen cannot be performed._

"We can't stop it?"

He draped himself over his hikari, trying to shield Ryou's eyes. "What are you doing?" Ryou pushed him away. "Stop it. It's not real, Baku-Chan. Calm down."?

The feature came to its final scene, of the well. Bakura glared evilly at it, daring Samara to show even one tuft of hair. Instead, static. The screen went back to the menu. Bakura's skin crawled as he wondered what would happen next. He heard a phone ringing. He leapt to his feet, flew across the room, and sent the TV set crashing to the floor.

Accustomed to incidents like this, Ryou sighed, then went to turn off the circuit breaker so he could clean up this mess. Bakura stood panting over the TV's shattered remains, a sheen of sweat covering his skin. _Damn you, pathetic excuse for a pharaoh._ _Go ahead and attack me, I don't care. But you'll PAY for dragging my hikari into this!_

The phone rang. Bakura pounced and screamed into the receiver, "Start praying to Ra now, Pharaoh, because when I get my hands on you, I'll rip your head off and drink your spinal fluid! ... Pharaoh?"?

"... seven days."?

one

you're going to die

finish


	2. Malik's Solution

**Chapter Two**

Malik's Solution

_BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM_

"I know you're awake, Tomb Keeper, _OPEN UP!"_�

Malik opened his apartment door and Bakura kicked him in the shin. He fell to one knee, massaging the pain away. "What the hell are you doing now?"

"Get out of the way so I can come in."

Malik blinked. In one hand, Bakura held a DVD. Under his other arm was Ryou, who waved.

"I should have known better than to let my light watch any disc that belonged to that shit." Bakura was on Malik's couch with Ryou, looking like a sweaty bundle of frayed nerves.

Ryou glanced at Malik, who was wearing that purple thing he always wore. Ryou got a quick mental image of Malik's closet, crammed with a thousand identical purple midis. "I'm sorry for barging in like this. I hope we're not keeping you..."

"Well, you are."� Fluffy (known to some as Yami Marik) came from the bedroom and wrapped his arms around Malik. "We've got concert tickets."�

Bakura snatched the tickets out of Fluffy's hand-- _I've got to talk to him about that bad habit,_ Ryou thought-- and looked. _"Ask?_ Those guys are pussies!"� He ripped the tickets up.

Fluffy let go of Malik, veins popping out all over his face. "Why the fuck did you do that?"�

Malik screamed, "You asshole! Bad Luck's opening for them, and the singer's hot!"� In one massive force, they fell on Bakura, punching and kicking.

Ryou stood, tiny pale fists clenched, "Guys, stop! ... Hmm..." He went to the kitchen and came back with a bucket of ice water, which he sloshed all over the three of them. They stopped fighting, wet, shivering, and bloody.

Malik sneezed in Bakura's face, then climbed off of him. "So, what did you need, Ryou?"

"What about the concert? I wanna see ShuChan! SHU-CHAN SHU-CHAN SHU-CHAN--!"

Bakura jammed his fist into Fluffy's mouth. "What kind of villain are you? Just go and steal your tickets from some lame Mary Sues. Moron."�

Malik smiled. "Well, if we're going to do that, why don't you two come with us? How about it, Ryou?"�

_It must be nice to have no moral compass._ Instead of replying, he picked up the DVD and handed it to Malik. "I need you to explain to BakuChan that this is an ordinary plastic disc with no mystical properties. He won't listen to me."�

"Ah, _The Ring."_� Malik took the DVD and looked it over. "Gore Verbinski's version had a creepier look, but _Ringu's_ Sadako was way scarier than Samara." He looked at Bakura and held the case up.

"This is a mass-produced American movie based on a mass-produced Japanese movie which was, in turn, based on a novel, which was completely fictional. There's no Sadako or Samara, so stop being an idiot..."

"But the pharaoh cursed that disc! He added a mini- feature that really kills you! My hikari and I are fucked!"

"See, Malik? He's absolutely convinced that we're actually going to die in a week."

Malik arched an eyebrow. "What the hell do you care, Tomb Robber? Technically, you died three thousand years ago."

"Who gives a shit if I die? I'm worried about Ryou!"�

There was a long silence as everyone stared at BakuChan, whose fervent glare was focused on RaChan. Bakura raised his hand and placed it over his heart-- for a moment Ryou thought he was going to recite a poem or something-- and pulled the millennium ring out from under his shirt. "Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it'll be if he dies and I have to wait for a new avatar?"

Ryou sighed. _So that's all I mean to you..._

"Well�," Malik said, "If you're that worried, There's a way to stop the curse."�

Malik put the disc into the DVD/VCR combo, then put in a blank tape. He straightened and faced the three sitting on the couch.

"To avoid dying in a week, you make a copy and show it to someone. Fluffy and I will sit here with you and watch while it records; then you and Ryou will be fine."

"But then won't you be cursed?"�

"We saw it last year and we were fine. There's no actual curse, Bakura."� He sat. It was: Fluffy, Malik, Bakura, Ryou. "Just watch closely at the end. If there were really a curse, you'd catch a glimpse of Samara climbing out of the well before it ends, just like in the movie. But it won't happen."�

Ryou squeezed Bakura's hand to reassure him, and they started.

It played exactly the same as before. No glimpse of Samara. But the phone rang, startling the hikaris.

It was on the end table next to Fluffy, so he answered it.

"Hello? ... Okay. Bye."� He looked at the others. "Wrong number."

Ryou sighed relief, and smiled at BakuChan. "See? We're fine."�

"Yeah"�, said Malik, "So let's head out to the concert."

"The phone rang... Wait, it rang back at the house! It was this creepy girl, just like in the movie! She said, 'Seven days'."�

Malik looked up from turning off the machines. "Is it that hard to picture Little Yugi putting Anzu up to it?"

"Yeah, that's probably what it was, BakuChan. Don't worry about it."�

"I suppose..."

_But how did they know exactly what time to call?_

**2**

malik's solution

finish


	3. Something Dark

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. By the way, I don't own Ringu, The Ring, Naomi Watts, or Shu-Chan, either. I think we all know that Shu-Chan belongs to Yuki!

WARNINGS: yaoi, AU, OOC, possible character death, DISTURBING SHIT

…

CHAPTER THREE: Something, Dark

…

It was still dark. Bakura knew the sun would be rising soon. He and Ra-Chan lay in the large bed they shared, facing each other. Ra-Chan was asleep, peaceful and angelic. Bakura had not slept at all.

Ra-Chan grunted softly, then opened his eyes and smiled. "Good morning, Baku-Chan."

Bakura knew he was supposed to say "Good morning" back, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Under all his bravado, he was very shy.

"It's Sunday, so why don't we just stay in bed all day?"

Bakura's body felt heavy and tingly. It was strange, but not unpleasant. Ra-Chan moved closer and put his arms around Baku-Chan. Gazing into Bakura's eyes, Ryou said, "You've been good to me. I want to be good." He kissed him.

Bakura was surprised—Ryou had never expressed sexual feelings for him before. He couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed anyone, or even if that had ever happened. Ra-Chan's lips felt better than anything he'd ever experienced. All he could think was that he wanted it to continue. Ryou moved even closer, pressing against him, rocking his hips into Bakura's. That felt unbelievably good. Suddenly Bakura understood why people chased each other around.

When Bakura opened his eyes, the bedroom was filled with sunlight and Ryou had already woken up; Bakura could hear him making breakfast. He was laying in the exact same position.

_Was it a dream?_

When Bakura entered, Ryou smiled like always. "Good morning, Baku-Chan. Did you sleep well?"

Bakura sat at the counter and said nothing.

"I guess I'll warn you now. Yugi-tachi are coming over tonight. We're going to play Monster World."

Bakura growled. "I'll be going out." His gaze happened upon the stovetop. On it was a pot so huge that it covered two burners. It was bubbling over with boiling water.

"What are you making? Stew?"

"Yep. It'll be ready for dinner." He went into the pantry. "Now for the special ingredient."

Bakura closed his eyes, contemplating going back to bed. He heard a strange sound, and looked up in time to see Ra-Chan approaching the stove with a squirming newborn baby in his arms.

Bakura jumped and ran over to him. "What the hell are you doing!"

"Step aside, Baku-Chan."

"No ! Have you lost your mind? That's an infant!"

"Well, of course it is, the younger ones are a modern delicacy."

"I don't give a fuck!" Bakura stood in Ryou's way.

Ryou chuckled. "You can't do anything. You're just a specter." He walked through Bakura and held the baby over the pot. Bakura grabbed at him, but his hands went through. Ryou dropped the baby into the water, and its agonized screaming filled Bakura's head.

Bakura woke up gasping and covered in sweat. He sat up and mopped his brow with the back of his hand. Ryou was standing in the doorway, hidden by the shadows.

"What are you doing, standing there? Come out so I can see you."

"No." Ryou's voice sounded strange. "I have to stay in the dark."

"What the hell are you saying?"

"This is where I live. I'll hide with the monsters that dwell in the dark."

He stepped into the room. There was something dark on his face, Bakura couldn't make it out in the pre-dawn gloom. He turned on the nightstand lamp.

"What have you done to yourself?"

Ryou had carved huge gashes across his forehead and cheeks. Glaring crimson blood covered his face in thick streams. "It's camouflage. Now people on the street will know to stay away from me."

Bakura was in bed with Ryou, exactly as before. It was still dark. Sweat trickled down his skin. Ryou looked perfectly fine.

_I can't take this anymore._

He tried something he'd read about. He got up on his elbow and looked at the digital clock on Ryou's nightstand. It read 6:44. He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them again. It still read 6:44. He was awake.

He laid back down and watched Ra-Chan sleep. The light on Ra-Chan's face from the large window behind Bakura grew stronger as the sun rose.

Ryou opened his eyes and smiled. "Good morning, Baku-Chan." He sat up and stretched. "Since it's Sunday, why don't we go on a picnic?"

_A picnic? Picnics are stupid._ "Okay."

"Great! I'll call Yugi-tachi and see if they want to come, too."

"Ugh!"

They went into the bathroom together and Ryou used the toilet first, while Bakura politely looked the other way.

"Why don't you like Yugi-tachi?"

"They're morons. They're loud, annoying fools."

"Why don't you invite Marik and Fluffy?"

An evil sneer spread across Bakura's face.

"No plotting world domination!"

"You're kidding, right?"

Ryou finished, and Bakura used the toilet while Ryou washed up.

"Just give it a rest for today, please? I just want a fun day out with my friends."

"Fuck."

Marik was extremely cheerful as he opened the door to let Ryou and Bakura into his & Fluffy's apartment. Bakura flopped on the couch next to Fluffy, who was organizing his Duel Monsters cards on a TV table. He looked over Fluffy's shoulder, scanning for new cards.

Marik gave Ra-Chan a brief hug. "So, who exactly is going to be there?"

"Everyone. Yugi, Yami, Jou, Honda, Anzu, Duke, Mai, Yugi's grandpa, and even the Kaiba brothers are coming."

"Seto Kaiba on a picnic with us little people?" Marik laughed. "Mokuba must've used his biggest puppy-dog eyes…"

"No, I think it's a different puppy that's bringing Kaiba out today."

"Oooh, no way! I never thought of that, but I guess it does make sense… Their arguments have always been passionate."

"Thin line between love and hate?"

Marik glanced at Fluffy. "Don't I know it. So, do you think there'll be any dueling action?"

"Most likely. Baku-Chan brought his duel disk, so you should go ahead and bring yours."

"I think I'll challenge Yami to a rematch."

Ryou laughed, "Here's hoping he doesn't sic an Egyptian God card on you!"

"Speaking of cards, I just got a bunch of booster packs. Wanna do some trading?"

"Sure. We've got a few minutes."

Marik and Ryou went into Marik's bedroom. Bakura and Fluffy watched with scowls on their faces.

"They are always very cheerful", Bakura observed. "It irritates me to no end."

"Did you bring that DVD? I want to check something."

"Here. I don't see the point in watching that drivel again."

Fluffy put The Ring on and started up the mini-feature. He sat back down and spoke to Bakura while keeping his sights set on the TV screen. "I think something happened between Marik and Ryou last night."

"What do you mean?"

"After Bad Luck performed, they disappeared for twenty minutes, then came back flustered and cheerful. For the rest of the night, Marik wouldn't even let me kiss him."

"So what—What ?" He glared at Fluffy. "You're… You're fucking your hikari?"

Fluffy smiled. "Of course I am. Don't tell me you don't hit that—"

Bakura's fist slammed into Fluffy's face like a brick wall. "Don't you dare say such things about my hikari." He could feel his face heating up as he blushed.

Fluffy sneered and licked the blood off of his busted lip. "How many times have you seen either of them play Duel Monsters? Do you actually believe that they're in there trading cards right now?"

Bakura looked at the door and Fluffy's words hit home. He jerked to his feet, but stayed cemented in place, staring at the door. Slowly, he made himself sit down again.

"He can do what he wants."

"Look."

Bakura looked at the TV screen in time to catch a glimpse of a pale arm and some black hair coming out of the well. Then static.


	4. Worse Than Death

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. However, Fluffy and I are drawing up plans for world domination, so I'll own everything soon.

…

Chapter 4: Worse Than Death

…

Since it was December and snowy, they had decided to have the picnic in an immense atrium at Kaiba's estate. Ryou's father's car pulled up outside the gates, and the four got out. A light snowfall surrounded them. Bakura looked up at the silhouette of Kaiba's main house through the swirling paths of snowflakes. Although Marik and Ra-Chan were making cheery conversation, Bakura did not hear them.

_It's so quiet here._

"Baku-Chan, are you alright?" Ryou took hold of Bakura's arm, and Bakura slowly turned his head to look at him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"You're trembling."

"I am?" Bakura looked down at Ryou's hand on his arm.

"Let's get you inside before you catch something."

… … …

The atrium was a small forest with a high glass ceiling. There were lots of trees, thick, lush grass, and a stream with a little bridge over it. Ducks were waddling around on the banks.

Ra-Chan and Marik didn't hide how impressed they were.

"Amazing!"

"It's like an oasis!"

"Let's go find everyone!"

Bakura and Fluffy lingered in the back so they could talk.

"It has to be the pharaoh. When Marik and I watched that movie before, nothing happened."

"We'll find him and make him explain why he's doing this."

"And how to remove the curse."

"Maybe it can't be removed. If my hikari dies, I might go mad awaiting his rebirth."

"He won't be reborn."

"What do you mean?"

"They kept it out of the American movie, but in _Ringu, _People who get killed by Sadako become part of the curse."

Bakura stopped walking and looked at Fluffy expectantly.

"It's hard to understand, but it looks like they become characters in the tape. They're not themselves anymore. So, if we cannot stop this shit, and our hikaris get killed… They will simply be gone."


	5. Don't Turn Around

Author's Notes: This morning, I watched the mini-feature alone in the gloom of pre-dawn. Now it's 11:48 and _Ringu_ is playing on the TV in front of me. I'm ready to write!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or The Ring, or Ringu.

…

Chapter 5: Don't Turn Around

…

The pharaoh was not among the group. Everyone was sitting together on a blanket with several large picnic baskets, except for Jou, Honda, and Duke, who were tossing a football around.

"Where the hell is that pathetic excuse for a pharaoh?"

Ignoring the insult, Yugi replied, "He's stuck at home doing calculus. I guess it's his one weakness."

_The coward skipped out. Now what? _He and Fluffy exchanged glances.

Jou called out, "Hey guys! Wanna join?"

Marik jumped in. He caught the football and threw it to Duke.

Ra-Chan sat with the others and set down a small box. "I made some onigiri. Sorry I couldn't bring more."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure they're delicious. You're a great cook, Ryou."

Ra-Chan smiled and nodded. "Baku-Chan, come on. Let's eat."

Bakura and Fluffy were gone.

… … …

They found a large den with plush leather sofas, two pool tables, a bar, and an entertainment center. Turning on the light, they walked past the pool tables and bar to the entertainment center. Bakura opened the cabinet to reveal a 60-inch high def TV. "That bitch is not taking my light away! I won't allow it!"

"We've got 6 days. That's plenty of time."

"Give me the disc."

Fluffy reached into his pocket and pulled out a DVD in a protective sleeve. It was _Ringu._

… … …

They watched it through. Bakura had hoped for some insight, but was disappointed. They turned off the DVD player and TV.

"'Make a copy and show it to someone.' We already fucking did that!"

"Hey, that's right. You and Ryou should be okay. We should find a camera and check."

Hope lit Bakura's eyes. "That's right, only your face would be distorted. If that's the case, then you can make a copy and show it to save yourself and Marik!"

Bakura stopped in the middle of closing the cabinet. After a few long seconds, Fluffy walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder.

Leaning against the TV, in a completely blank white box, was an unlabeled videocassette.

Bakura picked it up and pulled the tape out of the box. He stared at it, then looked at Fluffy. "Was this here before we started the movie?"

"I would've noticed."

They opened the cabinet below the TV and found several videogame consoles and a VCR. They hooked it up to the TV, started the video, and stood side by side to watch.

Darkness, then sporadic tracking. Bakura's breathing sped up considerably.

The ring burst into view. It was like a solar eclipse. Cut to a close-up of the shore. It seemed like the camera was sitting on the sand. A pair of pale feet walked across the sand. A wave rushed forward and crashed into the lens. It was blood. After that came scenes from the mini-feature, but they were horribly out of focus until the scene of Anna Morgan; it became very sharp then. She turned and looked right at Bakura, even though he was standing off to the side. She nodded, and the screen went blank.

Bakura opened his mouth to say,_ Is it over, _but the ring came on again. It looked like the sun itself, golden, with a grainy texture.

_Skreee… SKREEEE… _The sound filled Bakura's ears. A fuzzy picture of the pyramids floated shakily on the screen, then faded. A close shot of a clay wall with these words carved into it:

_YOU'VE BEEN GOODE TO MEH_

_I WANT TO BEH GOODE_

A split-second close up of a shadowy face. Bakura recognized the pharaoh easily. Then came the shot of the man with the white cloth covering his face. He stood before the ocean and pointed, but something was different.

"The clothes." A blue and white striped shirt, and jeans. "Aibou."

A heavily distorted voice spoke: _"Frolic… in… brine… Goblins… be… thine…"_

Cut to the well. After a brief silence, _skreee… skreee…. _filled the room. Bakura was overwhelmed by the gut feeling that something large and horrid was right behind him. "Do you feel that?"

"Yes. I'm fighting the temptation to turn around."

Long, black strands of hair slithered over the edge of the well, followed by a pale arm. Sadako pulled herself up and out of the well, and approached the screen…


	6. Dead Quiet

…

… …

… … …

Chapter 6: Dead Quiet

… … …

… …

…

Long, black strands of hair slithered over the edge of the well, followed by a pale arm. Sadako pulled herself up and out of the well, and approached the screen. She crawled through, and stood before them.

Fluffy shrieked, "What the fucking hell!"

Bakura pulled the Millennium Ring from under his shirt, and clutched it. "I'll contain the bitch, you find and protect the hikaris! Go!"

Fluffy spun on his heel and bounded out of the room. Bakura focused, and black and purple clouds seeped from his ring to engulf them both.

Sadako said nothing, but the clouds flickered and died .

_She—she bested my shadow magic!_

She was closing in on him now—suddenly, she was right in his face. He was so startled that he fell backwards, landing hard.

He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed, "But it hasn't been a week yet!"

Laughter filled his ears. He opened his eyes, recognizing the voices coming from behind the bar.

He looked up at Sadako, who was now frozen, like a video game on pause.

Blushing, he stood and stomped over to the bar. Looking behind it, he confirmed his suspicions—crouched together, laughing their asses off, were Honda, Duke, Mai, and Marik.

Standing and wiping tears from his eyes, Marik said, "Sorry… We couldn't resist!"

Without a word, Bakura grabbed the nearest item—a wine glass—and smashed it into the side of Marik's head.

… … …

He found Ra-Chan on the picnic blanket with Yugi, Jou, Anzu, Yugi's grandpa, Seto and Mokuba. Jou and Kaiba were in the middle of another heated argument, while the others grinned.

Ra-Chan smiled, "Where have you been…?" He became concerned when he saw how angry Bakura was, then more so when he saw that his yami's hand was bleeding. "What happened?"

"Get up. We're leaving."

Anzu said, "Have you seen Marik, Bakura? Fluffy was just here looking—"

"FUCK MARIK!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Ryou quickly got to his feet. "Yes, it's getting late. We'd better be going…"

… … …

"Okay, done."

Honda and Mai scrutinized the bandage Duke had wrapped around Marik's head.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a game store owner, not a nurse."

"Maybe we should take you to a doctor, just to be sure…"

"This is nothing. I'm fine."

"Man", said Honda, "That Bakura was really out of line. It was just a stupid prank."

"I'm surprised anything could scare that evil spirit. What did you put on that tape?" Mai started rewinding it. They sat on the couch together, and pressed play.

After a few seconds, Marik frowned. "This isn't what I recorded…"

… … …

"Please, Baku-Chan, let me see it—"

"Leave me the fuck alone." Bakura yanked his hand out of Ryou's grasp and turned away, glaring at the streets. They were standing at a bus stop—although it wasn't even noon yet, the overcast sky gave the feel of midnight. The streetlights were on, and the plows had gone through, leaving troughs of gray, sludgy snow remnants at the gutters. The world outside was dead quiet, but Bakura's mind wouldn't shut the fuck up.

_Coward…coward, coward, COWARD!_

_warmth… _Bakura realized that Ra-Chan had taken a hold of his hand, and was examining it. He sucked in a breath. "There are bits of glass embedded in your palm."

Baku-Chan pulled away again. He didn't like the way Ra-Chan was looking at him.

"What happened at Kaiba's house?"

Bakura snorted and looked away.

"There's a payphone. Why don't I call Father to get us?"

"Fuck that. We'll take the bus."

"Okay, if that's what you want, but we're at the wrong stop."

"We're not going home."

"Hm?"

"We're going to the game shop."


	7. Your Friend is Dead

…

Chapter 7: Your Friend is Dead

…

"Shit…"

"Turn it off!"

Marik stopped the tape, then tore it out of the VCR and smashed it against the wall.

Each of their cell phones rang.

"What does yours say?"

"Unknown caller."

"Same."

"Same."

After a few long seconds, Marik answered.

_SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

… … …

When Fluffy entered the den, the first thing he saw was Marik, who was staring at something on the floor. Fluffy couldn't see what it was—Marik was in front of the couch, and Fluffy was approaching from behind it. Marik was turned slightly away—as Fluffy approached, he noticed that Marik was trembling.

"Aibou…"

Marik started, and spun to face his yami. His expression gave no hint of familiarity, and his face was spattered with blood. The front of his clothes was dyed crimson.

Fluffy hurried to Marik, but stopped when he rounded the couch.

On the floor around Marik's feet were mutilated, blood-drenched body parts that amounted to Honda, Duke, and Mai.

"Marik—"

"Your friend is dead." A sinister, self-satisfied grin had appeared on Marik's face.

"We have to get you out of here—" He tried to take hold of Marik's arm, but his hand was slapped away.

Marik rushed forward and swung out with his other hand, but didn't connect. When he let it rest at his side, Fluffy saw the dagger in Marik's hand, then felt the hot blood gushing from his throat, and collapsed.

Marik gathered the pieces of the broken video cassette and crammed them into his cargo pocket. Then he stepped over Fluffy to leave the room.

… … …

Ra-Chan and Bakura had taken the 91, which was a mistake—they'd both forgotten that it cruised along at snail's pace to stay on schedule. Baku-Chan had fallen asleep, and Ra-Chan was watching everything out the window—

_Marik?_

He pressed his forehead against the glass.

_I could've sworn that was Marik's motorcycle. He was really flying, too. _

He sighed and sat back.

_No, there are lots of motorcyclists. Marik's probably still at Kaiba's place. Besides, the clothes were wrong._

Bakura shook himself awake with a panicky cry. He was gasping and sweating, his eyes wide and afraid.

"Are you alright?"

Bakura pinched himself in the arm, digging his short fingernails into the flesh. He pinched so hard that his hand started shaking.

"Stop!" Ra-Chan pulled his hand away. "Why did you do that?"

"You have to do me a favor. From this point on, if you see me asleep, wake me up."

"…"

"Please, Aibou."

After a short time, Ryou said yes.

… … …

Yami lifted the coffee mug to his lips and sipped thoughtfully, holding a sheaf of papers before his eyes. He glanced downwards and growled. There was a ring shaped coffee stain on Yugi's desktop. Before he could do anything about it, there was a knock on the door.

He made his way downstairs and opened the door to find Marik standing there wearing a black vinyl rain coat.

He smiled. "Konnichiwa, My Pharaoh. May I come in?"


	8. Broken Doll

…

Chapter 8: Broken Doll

…

The phone in Yugi's room was ringing. Bakura glared at it, wishing it would stop, but it just kept ringing, and ringing. He knew he would have to answer it. Yami couldn't answer. Ryou couldn't answer, either. He was sitting just outside the door, in the hall. His sobbing had grown softer now.

It had been ringing nonstop for five minutes now. Bakura haltingly reached out, then grasped the white plastic receiver, pressed the 'talk' button, and raised it to his ear.

He heard ragged breathing, and sniffling—someone crying. A sharp inhale… "Yami, is that you?" It was Yugi. "I'm still at Kaiba's… _(sniff) _…something horrible has happened… Yami? Yami, please, say something."

Bakura looked over at Yugi's bed. It was king sized. He supposed that Yami and Yugi had been sharing it, same as himself and Ryou. The large bed was set right next to the wall, so you could sit down and lean back against it. That's the position Yami was in. His legs were splayed out, his arms dangling at his sides, his head lolling forward. He looked like a broken doll.

A broken doll covered with red paint.

And his face…

_Oh, Dear Ra, his face…_

"Yami, please! Speak to me!"

After a brief hesitation, he pressed the 'off' button and set the receiver back down in its base.

... … …

Bewildered, Yugi turned off the cell phone and handed it back to Anzu. They were standing with Jou in the hall outside the den where the corpses had been found. Yugi's grandpa had taken Mokuba to another wing of the main house,along with Kaiba's best guards and several police officers. Kaiba was a short distance away, talking to the police.

Anzu asked, "What did he say?"

"He… I don't think he answered."

"I can't believe this is happening. Duke, Honda, and Mai… they never hurt anybody." She sniffed, and looked at Jou. "Are you alright?"

Jou nodded, but kept his head low, his bangs concealing his eyes.

Kaiba strode up to them, accompanied by a detective.

"The police have searched the grounds, and they haven't found anything unusual."

"What about Fluffy?"

"They don't think he'll survive the night."

Anzu blinked, and fresh tears trickled down. "This is horrible… just when we'd all become friends…"

Yugi and Jou got closer and put their arms around her. Yugi's tears fell as freely as Anzu's. Kaiba tried to see Jou's eyes, but they remained hidden. He knew—everyone knew—how attracted Jou had been to Mai, and Honda had been his best friend. Without realizing it, Kaiba was staring. He wanted to see Jou's eyes.

The officer spoke then, asking for DNA samples. An investigator wearing latex gloves swabbed each of their mouths with Q-tips. Jou had to lift his head and when he did, Kaiba caught a glimpse of one eye through the wheat blonde bangs. It was bloodshot and swollen from weeping. After a moment, Jou's gaze met Kaiba's and Kaiba quickly turned away.

Then the investigator sprayed their hands with a solution that would indicate any traces of blood. They were all clean.

After the police had finished all their work, they left a couple of uniformed men to keep an eye on the place.

… … …

Mokuba and Yugi's grandpa were in a kitchen, where Mokuba was halfheartedly nursing a sundae. When the doors swung open and Kaiba entered, Mokuba ran and jumped into his arms.

"Big Brother!"

"Everything's all right, Mokuba. Calm down."

"Maybe you should stay at a hotel", Yugi offered.

Kaiba shook his head. "We've already made arrangements to stay at our lake house for the time being. If any of you want to accompany us, you are welcome to do so."

… … …

"Please, we have to call the police!"

"We don't have time for that. We need to get out of here."

"No!" Ryou stood in Bakura's way. "We can't let Yugi come home and find Yami like this."

The look in his eyes saddened Bakura, so he turned back.

He picked up the phone and dialed 911, then set the receiver down beside the base. "Now, we have to leave."

He seized Ryou's arm and pulled him to the door.

"Ah! Baku-Chan, that hurts!"

_skreee… skreeeee—_

Again, Bakura felt like there was someone right behind him. He imagined that if he were to turn around, Yami would be sitting up in bed, gesturing casually as he spoke. Bakura could see it clearly in his head—Yami's lips moved, but no words came out, and he was still covered in blood.

Unable to push this away, Bakura turned around and saw foot-tall letters burned into the wall over Yami's shoulder, words that had most definitely not been there five seconds before.

_SIX DAYS_

…

….

…


	9. Malik, Not Malik

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Yu Gi Oh. However, I do have a lovely Shu-Chan shrine in my bedroom, and I sacrifice a lame Mary Sue to it every night. Ha!

…

Chapter 9: Marik, Not Marik

…

The clouds had dissipated, leaving a silvery full moon against a jet black sky. The moon's light barely breached the rooftops of the brick buildings Ryou and Bakura found themselves wandering about. The alley they were in was dank and smelly—Ryou had one hand clamped over his mouth and nose, while the other kept a firm grasp on Bakura's hand.

Bakura was less concerned with their surrounding s and more focused on the Sennen ring. It was glowing and leading them, to where, they weren't sure. All they knew was that whoever or whatever had killed Yami had also taken the Millennium puzzle and Sennen rod. Once they found those items, they would have their killer.

… … …

Yugi gazed out the bay window at the lights of Domino. On the horizon, he could make out a soft glow and knew it was Tokyo. He couldn't stop thinking about Yami.

Jou and Anzu were nearby, sitting by Fluffy's hospital bed. Fluffy's throat wound had been stitched up, and he'd been given three blood transfusions so far. He was asleep now.

_Yami's not dead. He's a 3000 year old spirit, he can't die. That corpse they took away was nothing more than an empty shell._

Anzu was softly caressing Fluffy's hand. "Please, be okay," she whispered.

Jou made his way over and stood beside Yugi. After a few quiet seconds, Yugi said, "He jumped."

"What?"

"Yami. I'm sure of it. He must've jumped back into the Millennium puzzle before the body was killed."

"But—"

"I know, the puzzle was stolen." He turned to face Jou and as he spoke, his countenance became fierce. "Whoever stole it won't be able to use it unless he defeats me in a duel. And when he comes to challenge me, I'll be ready."

… … …

The Sennen ring finally led Bakura into one of the buildings. They walked down paths through mountains of garbage piled high inside the cavernous rooms. The walls were wet, and they could hear water dripping or trickling everywhere they went. There were huge windows along every wall, which afforded a small amount of light—only enough to make out vague shapes. Bakura stopped.

"This doesn't make sense. It's December. This water should be frozen."

"I don't think running water freezes."

"But why would there be running water in an abandoned building? And yet…" He held his palm out and caught a few icy drops from the ceiling. He wiped his hand dry on his shirt, and they kept going.

Soon they were pulled along faster and faster, until they broke into a run. They went into a sublevel and eventually found themselves in a tiny room, about 9'x 9'.

Looking around, Ra-Chan sighed, "There's nothing here." He looked at Baku-Chan and saw that the Sennen ring was pointing to a spot on the dirt floor that looked as if it had recently been disturbed.

On their knees, they furiously dug the earth up together, until they uncovered something golden.

Ra-Chan exclaimed, "That's it! That's the eye of the Millennium puzzle!"

Bakura pulled it out of the dirt. It was just that one piece.

"Why would someone—"

_squeee—_

They turned in time to see the thick steel door slamming shut, and heard several locks being engaged.

… … …

"Guys, he's awake!"

Jou and Yugi ran to Fluffy's side and they crowded over him. Fluffy's eyes were barely open. He slowly looked around at them, then opened his mouth—

"Don't try to speak."

"You might hurt your throat."

"Here." Yugi had a pencil and pad. Jou brought a wheeled table and rolled it to settle over Fluffy's lap. Yugi set the pad down, and Anzu wrapped Fluffy's fingers around the pencil.

"Who did this to you?"

"Who killed Honda, Duke, Mai, and Yami?"

Fluffy blinked at them, then scrawled the name: _Marik._

"We haven't seen Marik since earlier…"

Anzu gasped, "Wait, do you mean Marik's the one who attacked you?"

Fluffy frowned, and almost imperceptibly shook his head, then added more: _Marik's not Marik._

… … …

Bakura pounded on the door. "Tell me the meaning of this, you coward!"

Marik—

_Not Marik—_

heard his voice, but did not listen to his words. He raised the Sennen rod to his lips and kissed the cool, golden surface. The rod glowed.

Inside, Bakura's voice died down. His eyes clouded and he collapsed. Ryou hurried to his side.

"Baku-Chan!"


	10. Dancing With Sadako

…

Chapter 10: Dancing With Sadako

…

Bakura blinked at the ceiling. He was exhausted. By the time he'd gotten himself and his hikari out of that room, the sun had risen. It was Monday, Day 2. Although it was 9:42 in the morning, the blinds were drawn and the curtains closed, so the room was dark as night. Ra-Chan was sleeping, snuggled up near Bakura's side. He was supposed to be at school, but that didn't seem so important now.

_I wonder if Yugi-tachi went to school today, like nothing happened. I wouldn't put it past them. After yesterday, no one's called to see if Ryou's okay, or tell him what happened. Those bastards talk about friendship, then they ignore my beautiful light._

Bakura blinky-blinked.

_Beautiful?_

He turned onto his side and looked at Ra-Chan's sleeping face. He swallowed hard.

_Yes, Ra-Chan, you are very beautiful…_

Ryou's eyes snapped open, and the flesh melted from his face as his jaw stretched open in a nightmarish scream.

Bakura gasped and recoiled, which woke him up. He was laying on his back again, but other than that, everything was the same. Ra-Chan was fine. The room was quiet. The digital clock said 9:42.

Bakura was breathing in frightened gasps. He stopped and calmed himself, then read the clock. He closed his eyes, then opened them and read it again. It still said 9:42. He'd gotten into bed with Ra-Chan to calm him down. He had not expected to fall asleep.

_I'll have to be more careful._

"There's no point in that, Baka-Chan."

Bakura looked up and Yami was standing in the doorway, drenched in blood. He had a most casual expression on his face. He stepped into the room, the corner of his mouth curling upwards. "If you pull away, she'll want you that much more." The smile disappeared. "If you truly love your hikari, there's only one thing for you to do—"

Bakura snapped awake. He was standing in a museum.

_Shit! Not again!_

He pinched his arm, but although he dug his nails in, he felt nothing.

Samara's voice sounded, as if it were coming from inside his head. _You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?_

Looking around, he found that Samara was on display nearby.

She was sitting on her chair, which was set on a pedestal that raised her above people's heads. There was a crowd of people oohing and aahing, taking photos of her. She kept her head down, trying to hide her face with her hair.

He looked around at the other displays, which were body parts on pikes all around, dripping blood. He noticed large glass panels lining the walls, and approached one.

It was a tiny cell with mud walls and a 4 foot high ceiling. In one corner huddled a trembling figure. Although she kept her face hidden and stayed wrapped in a gray blanket, he could recognize Mai's blonde hair.

_Why is she here?_

Bakura tapped the glass. Mai started, then looked at him with wide, terror filled eyes. He was struck by the sight of deep cuts trailing all over her skin. Tears streamed down her face, and her thoughts poured into Bakura's mind.

_I'm sorry… It's my fault… The fault lies with me, Marik, Duke, and Honda… But how could we have known about her? And how could we have known the truth about you?_

_The truth…?_

From above and behind Bakura came Yami's voice. "What do you think?"

Bakura whirled around to look. The room had no ceiling—the walls had a high edge, and beyond that was blackness. Standing on the edge together were Yami and Marik, in white kimonos. They looked perfectly healthy and normal. Yami had posed his question to Marik.

They were both looking into Bakura's eyes as Marik replied, "Things look very grim, but the possibility still exists. If you're going to die, go down kicking and screaming as if your hair were on fire. Don't give up."

Yami nodded. "Truer words were never spoken."

Ryou's voice: "Baku-Chan? Baku-Chan, wake up."

Bakura opened his eyes and saw tree tops, but no sky. He sat up and found that he was sitting on the big picnic blanket with Ryou, Yugi, Jou, Anzu, Kaiba, Mokuba, and Yugi's grandpa.

Ra-Chan smiled. "You told me to wake you if I ever saw you sleeping, remember?"

Everyone was enjoying the onigiri Ryou had brought, wearing generic smiles. Yugi said, "Of course, you know, you're still dreaming."

Bakura growled, "I suspected as much."

Anzu finished her onigiri and reached for another. "Do you experience Devil's Sleep often, Bakura? It's a dangerous game."

Jou nodded heartily, "That's right. If you keep dancing with Sadako, you might never wake up."

Mokuba was in Kaiba's arms. He looked scared. Bakura looked at him for a long second, then noticed that Kaiba was glaring at him. "If you're smart, you'll leave us out of it."

Something caught Bakura's eye—he looked and, a short distance away, Samara was walking away into the trees.

Bakura jumped up and ran after her. She faded before he reached her. He hurriedly looked around and saw her standing further in the woods. He ran to her and the same thing happened—she vanished and reappeared deeper in the woods. Bakura let Samara lead him into a deep, shadowy grove.

She waited for him, facing the other way. He stopped and caught his breath. "Tell me what the hell is going on."

"You and your hikari will die."

"Tell me how to get rid of the curse."

"You can't."

That gave Bakura pause… He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. She was dead—her eyes had gone milky, her flesh was corroding, her hair was scraggly. Her filthy, tattered dress was soaking wet. Bakura didn't care. "You're lying! Tell me what to do!"

Samara's mouth fell open, and her voice floated out and was carried away on a breeze: "Enjoy being alive while you can."

Bakura let the corpse fall from his arms. "Ugh! That was pointless!"

"No, pointless would be to spend the next 5 days railing against your fate."

_skreeee…. skreeee…_

Marik was there, wearing his purple midi and cargo pants. He had a gleeful smile on his face.

"You're not Marik."

"You're a smart boy." He walked closer and got in Bakura's face. "You're cute, too. It's a shame."

"How do I get rid of the curse?"

Marik's smile vanished. "I guess you're not so smart after all."

"Stop masquerading as my friend. Show me your true face."

The smile reappeared. "You're in no position to make demands, Baka-Chan. It's sweet that you want to save that little cutie of yours, but there is simply no way to rid yourself of the curse, so stop trying."

Bakura seized Marik by the collar and pulled him close. He snarled, "No curse is unbeatable! Whoever you are, I will defeat you and make you pay for what you've done!"

Marik grabbed Bakura's wrist and twisted until Bakura cried out. "You may have been a badass in ancient Egypt, but theses are modern times. Just give it up and turn to dust."

Marik vanished in a cloud of sand that swirled and engulfed Bakura. He shielded his face with his arms.

"Baku-Chan! Baku-Chan!"

He became aware of hands squeezing his arms, shaking him. He finally woke and looked into Ryou's frightened, teary eyes. "Oh, thank goodness. You wouldn't wake up."

He slowly sat up. His head hurt. They were still in the tiny room, but now, the steel door stood ajar, affording dim sunlight.

"Am I really awake?"

Ra-Chan wrapped his arms around Bakura's neck. "Yes. You're awake. Let's go home."

At that time, Marik was riding into Tokyo on his motorcycle. In his cargo pocket was the once-shattered videotape, now good as new and ready for another showing.


	11. Sweet Things

…

Chapter 11: Sweet Things

…

Ra-Chan was still in the shower. Bakura sat at the kitchen counter, eating Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs. He loved sweet things, but was blushing while he ate, for loving something so childish. He always worried that someone would catch him, and make fun. While he absentmindedly scooped another spoonful into his mouth, the _crunch-crunch _reverberating through his skull, he stared at the piece of the Millennium puzzle. He thought about Yami's corpse, and the long dream that had ended in a confrontation with that evil spirit disguised as Marik.

_Yes, I hated Yami… but I didn't want him dead._

He sighed. They were going to meet Yugi-tachi at school so they could discuss everything that had happened. Bakura didn't want to, but…

He lowered the arm he'd been leaning on, and saw the charred hand print where Marik had grabbed him.

_That happened in both movies. Maybe I should study them once again._

He froze as he became aware of a small sound. He knew it was scratching. Scratching, just like in _Ringu…_

His peripheral vision registered black—he looked across the room, at the window over the sink. Sadako was leering in at him, scratching the glass with the ripped, bloody nubs of her fingers. Her hair was out of her face and her eyes were wide and soulless. Her mouth was stretched into a maniacal smile.

Bakura knocked the barstool over in his rush to jump to his feet. "Shit, not another fucking nightmare!"

"Don't worry. You're awake." Samara was standing in the doorway. "And rest assured, things will get worse."

Bakura raked his fingers down his forearm, upending layers of skin and drawing blood.

Sadako was outside the door now. As Bakura watched, she walked through it and entered the kitchen.

"It's another prank! Another prank!"

Samara laughed. "Keep telling yourself that."

He turned and ran—

"Take one step and your hikari is dead!"

He stopped and turned to face them. "What do you want?"

"We want to watch you bleed."

Ringing filled Bakura's ears as Sadako and Samara closed in on him.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"_


	12. Madness Abounds

…

Chapter 12: Madness Abounds

…

"…Hello, Anzu? …It's me, Ryou…"

"Is everything okay? Do you want to talk to Yugi?"

" Yes, please…"

Anzu handed her cell phone to Yugi. They were standing on the school roof, waiting for class to begin.

"Ryou? Where are you?"

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid we won't be coming to class today…"

"What happened?"

"Bakura's sick. He had some sort of… episode… I don't want to talk about it over the phone, but we're at the emergency room."

"We'll be there in ten minutes!"

"No, it's all right now. If you could just come after school, we can figure out what to do about all this."

"Okay. Which hospital are you at?"

"The same one they took Fluffy to. See you then." He hung up the payphone, then walked back to Bakura's room. He'd been sedated and strapped into bed. Although he was in a deep sleep, there was an apprehensive crease in his brow. His pale skin was red and raw.

Ryou brushed the bangs away from his sleeping yami's eyes. The image was burned into his mind—Bakura writhing on the floor, screaming and clawing at his own face and throat.

Ryou blinked. Bakura's lips were moving—how had he missed that? He leaned closer and listened, completely still.

"… _please stop… please stop… please…"_

… … …

Yugi gave Anzu her cell phone. "Bakura's in the hospital."

Anzu's hands flew up and framed her face. "Oh no!"

"What happened to him?"

"I'm not sure, but we can go visit him after school."

"We'll check on Fluffy, too, see if he's doin' any better." Jou noticed something then. He walked over and looked down at the school yard, Yugi and Anzu following his lead. All the students were leaving.

Jou called out, "Hey, Yamazaki! What's going on?"

A boy amongst the crowd stopped, and turned to look up at them. "School's canceled! Some serious shit's going down in Tokyo!"

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure. Something about people flipping out and killing their families."

All three gasped.

The boy started walking away, then stopped and turned back. "Hey! Jou!"

"What is it?"

"Don't turn on any TVs!"

"What? Why not?"

"Not sure. That's just what everyone's saying!" He turned and trotted off.

They exchanged grim nods of agreement, then left for the hospital.

… … …

The boutique was small, with a funky neon décor. Bad Luck's "Blind Game Again" was playing on the speakers in the ceiling. Marik was looking for a new outfit.

Behind the check-out counter was a 9' screen TV, showing only static. There was a radio in a nearby room, the employee break room, Marik guessed. It was turned to the news, and a woman's voice was cutting through the piped in music. "Reports are unclear as to what the situation is in Tokyo…"

Some black leather pants caught Marik's fancy, and were added to the other clothes hooked over his arm.

"…The count so far is over 2,000 households afflicted by this tragedy…"

He saw feather boas and slim scarves, but didn't take any for fear that someone would use them to strangle him.

"The only thing each crime scene has in common is that the TV has been left on and shows only static."

Finding a rack of studded leather bracelets, he stocked up, but then decided he liked the real Marik's golden jewels better , and tossed them back.

"Upon capture, several of the perpetrators screamed about seeing something horrible on TV before the incidents. Police are looking into the possibility of a pirated broadcast."

Marik went to try on his clothes, stepping carefully so as not to slip on any blood or trip over any of the corpses.

… … …

Yugi, Jou, and Anzu found Ryou in bed at Bakura's side, both asleep. As they approached, Ryou stirred, then, seeing them, he got out of bed in a bit of a hurry. "I fell asleep. Is it afternoon already?"

"School was canceled. Something happened in Tokyo."

Ryou looked at the TV bolted to the ceiling, expecting to see a newscast. It had been unplugged.

Anzu and Jou were leaning over Bakura, studying the welts in his face. "Who did this to him?"

"He did it to himself. I found him having some sort of seizure—" He covered his eyes, and Yugi touched his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "They're going to test him for epilepsy… and schizophrenia… They thought he was on drugs."

Yugi said, "I'm sure something is connecting all of this. We just have to find out what it is."

Anzu brought a piece of paper out of her pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Ryou. "Last night, Fluffy wrote this note."

"'Marik's not Marik'. What does this mean? Where is Marik, anyway?"

Jou combed his fingers through his hair. "At the picnic, Honda tried to get me to go with him somewhere. He said Marik was going to play a prank on Bakura, and that it was gonna be priceless. I said no, and he ran off… I remember thinking to myself that they should know better than to piss off Bakura. That was the last time I saw Honda alive."

Ryou eyed them warily. "You can't be thinking that Bakura would do something like that."

"Maybe it was really bad, and Bakura lost his temper—"

"_Bullshit!"_

Stunned silence reigned, as they had never heard Ryou swear or raise his voice before. "What kind of friends are you? Bakura may have been a thief long ago, but he never killed anyone!"

Yugi quietly said, "He tried…"

"If memory serves, so did Marik and Kaiba, yet you welcomed them into your circle with open arms. Why don't you look at Marik? No one's seen him since yesterday. Maybe he did it, then ran off somewhere!"

… … …

Marik had expected the streets to look like a scene out of **_Independence Day—_**people fleeing Tokyo in a blindpanic. Instead, it was like the day after in some apocalypse flick—the streets were completely abandoned. How bizarre to see that in the heart of Tokyo.

Marik took a deep breath and sighed it out.

_How nice to be rid of all those stupid fucking people. _

He decided he was hungry, and started across the street, to where he saw a convenience store.

_SKREEE!_

Hearing this, Marik looked up and his field of vision was filled with shiny red. Before he could react, a sports car had smacked into him and knocked him on his ass.

The car had stopped, and now a boy jumped out of the passenger's seat. "Oh, my gosh, are you alright?"

Stunned, Marik looked up at a very beautiful boy with pink hair.

_I know this boy… No wait, Marik knew this boy. _"You're Shuichi Shindo, aren't you?"


	13. Drop Dead Gorgeous

…

Chapter 13: Drop Dead Gorgeous

…

_If you truly love your hikari, there's only one thing you can do._

"Why don't you look at Marik?"

_Ra-Chan…_

"No one's seen him since yesterday."

_My beautiful light…_

"Maybe he did it, then ran off somewhere!"

_Please, don't get angry._

"Or maybe your evil twin there hacked him into so many pieces, no one'll ever find him!"

_That's my job._

Bakura forced himself awake and was not happy to find himself tied down. He struggled against the leather cuffs binding him to the bed.

"Stop. You'll hurt yourself." Ryou placed his hands on the sides of Bakura's face. "Please."

Bakura calmed down, and sighed. "Why am I here?"

"You had some sort of seizure."

Bakura glared right into Jou's eyes. "I didn't kill your friends."

Jou glared back. "Yes, and everyone knows your word's as good as gold."

Anzu stepped between them. "Stop it, both of you—"

Her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

It was Kaiba. "I trust Yugi and the mutt are with you."

"How'd you know?"

"You friendship freaks are always together. Bring them to my mansion. My men have found something."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to see for yourself. I'm not even sure what the hell it is."

………

Marik was crammed into the back seat of the sports car that had hit him. His shins hurt from where the bumper had connected, and his forearms were sore from trying to break his fall.

Shu-Chan turned and smiled at him. "You alright, Marik?"

Marik nodded in spite of his discomfort.

"Anyway, Yuki's got family in Kyoto, so we're gonna stay there until things calm down."

Yuki was driving. Marik stared at the man's blonde hair. Some Japanese dislike foreigners, and flip out over people with blonde hair.

_Shuichi's friends with a blonde, so obviously he's not one of those narrow minded assholes. It would be possible for him to like me in this body. _

"It's a good thing we found you. I'm sure Yuki's family has some space for you, no problem."

Marik had left his motorcycle parked in front of the boutique so he could pretend to need help. He would have to go back for it later, after he'd killed them both.

He closed his eyes. _Hm. Maybe I shouldn't kill Shuichi—he seems like a truly kind person. And he's beautiful._

He opened his eyes and jumped when he found Shu-Chan staring at him. "What's wrong, Marik? Sleepy?"

"Uh… Yes. Very."

_Very beautiful. The most adorable creature I've ever laid eyes on. I'd love to rape him._

"Hey, Yuki! Let's get something to eat!"

"No."

"But Tokyo's already far behind us, it should be alright!"

"Shut up. Your voice is irritating."

_Or better yet…_

Marik looked down at his hands.

_This Marik guy's cute, sure. But Shu-Chan's cuter. _

A smile appeared on his face.

_Maybe it's time for an upgrade._

………

Kimyo: That's it for now. Thank you all for reading. Please keep reviewing—your input is much appreciated.


	14. Desperation

The Gravitation Boys: A Quick Look

Bakura: You don't have to put a title on everything!

The main character is Shuichi Shindo, 19-year-old lead singer of the band Bad Luck. He's (I'm just guessing) about the same height as Kaiba, with fluffy pink hair and blue eyes. He's very energetic and likes to wear costumes in the anime! I've seen him as a: puppy, banana, schoolgirl, sumo wrestler, battery, fake fiancée, I think that's it. His mood can switch from goofy chibi to dead serious in the blink of an eye. He loves Yuki and his band more than anything.

Shuichi's boyfriend is Eiri Yuki, a romance novelist. His real name is Eiri Uesugi and his family runs a temple. His dad dresses like Miroku from Inu Yasha! He's (Again, I'm guessing) about as tall as one of Kaiba's bodyguards, with soft blonde hair. His eyes are golden, and he smokes. He acts like a cold hearted bastard, but he's actually very fragile and sweet. Remind you of anyone, Baku-Chan?

Bakura: Shut up.

I hope this makes it easier to follow the fic for anyone who doesn't read Gravitation. But seriously, you should check it out. It's awesome.

And now, without further ado…

o

Chapter 14: Desperation

o

"Untie me immediately."

Ryou squeezed Bakura's hand. "It's for your own good, Baku-Chan."

"That's right", said Anzu, "You practically tore your own face off."

Ryou leaned closer and spoke softly. "I'll be back this evening.."

"No! Don't leave!" He struggled anew. _I can't be away from him—I have to protect him!_

"I'm just going to see what Kaiba found, then I'll be right back, I promise."

It was decided. Ryou was already stepping towards the door.

"NO!" Bakura began thrashing about as if possessed. Only his wrists and ankles were bound. He arched his back and rose from the bed as he tried to pull free. "You can't leave! You'll die!"

Several large male nurses rushed in, pushing past Ryou and the others.

"Stay back", he spat at them, "Don't you come near me with that fucking needle!"

The nurses each knelt on his limbs and weighted him down while he was sedated, and he soon lost consciousness. Seeing his yami like that damaged Ryou—his eyes glistened with tears. He blinked, and they trickled down.

_Baku-Chan, what has happened to you?_

o

Yuki was out of cigarettes. They stopped at a convenience store, and Yuki went inside, while Marik and Shuichi waited in the car. Shuichi turned sideways so he could see Marik in the back seat. "Are you horribly uncomfortable? Wanna get out and stretch your legs?"

Marik did, and they stood together on a quiet country road.

While Shu-Chan was looking the other way, Marik smiled at him.

_Just being near you gives me this weird, excited feeling inside. You're so hot, Shu-Chan._

"So, where's your family?"

"Huh? What?"

"Are they still in your home country?"

"Uh.." Marik blushed, hoping his dark skin concealed it.

"Are you an exchange student?"

"Yeah." _I wish he'd stop talking so much. His voice keeps disrupting my thought processes._

"Is your hair naturally that color? It looks very exotic." He got closer and took a lock of Marik's bangs in his fingers, stroking and admiring it. "Wow. I've never seen anyone who looked like you before."

Having another person's warm body so close was too much. Marik became aroused… he closed his eyes, enjoying the euphoric sensation—he twitched.

_I'm in a boy's body! That means!_

He looked down at his pants and, yes, there was a bulge. He half-spun and fell to his knees, clutching the side of the car with one hand, trying to conceal his arousal with the other.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yes, I just felt a bit faint."

Yuki returned then, a new cigarette glowing from between his lips.

"Yuki, Yuki, Marik's sick! Go get him some bread and some juice!"

o

Kaiba smirked. "Greetings, Mutt."

Jou growled in the back of his throat, his face hot. They had just entered Kaiba's mansion. Yugi, Jou Anzu, and Ryou followed Kaiba through many richly decorated hallways as they spoke.

Yugi said, "Why won't you tell us what you've found?"

"Because I don't know what it is."

There were two large men guarding the entrance to the den where the corpses were found. They stepped aside so Kaiba could enter, followed by the other four. The first thing Yugi noticed upon entering was that, even though the lights were off, a soft glow filled the room. The glow emanated from a spot on the floor, in front of the entertainment center. There were plush couches that had been pushed out of the way. When they saw the source of the soft glowing light, they gasped.

o

They were zooming down a dirt road, getting closer to Kyoto. The sky was dark blue, getting blacker by the minute. Yuki was driving, and Shuichi was smiling in the passenger's seat.

Marik clasped both hands over his mouth and made a gagging sound.

Shuichi said, "What's wrong? Gotta throw up?"

Marik nodded anxiously, and Yuki slammed on the brakes. The car kicked up a lot of dust as it screeched to a halt. "Get him out of my car. Now."

As soon as Shu-Chan opened the door and leaned forward, Marik jumped out and ran into the trees lining the road.

He couldn't see where he was going as he stumbled deeper into the woods.

_I can't throw up—I'll have it on my breath!_

He had the lower half of his face in a death grip as he fought to keep the food down. Finally, he tripped over an exposed tree root and fell to the ground on all fours. Before he had time to do anything about it or even realize it, the food was coming up in a watery flood. He had not eaten anything in all the time since possessing Marik's body, so when Yuki had presented him with a piece of bread and a large bottle of juice, he had greedily gobbled down the bread and guzzled the drink.

Once he started, he couldn't hold back any more. He retched again, and then again. Then he was empty. Marik coughed and spat, thoroughly disgusted with himself. Some had come out of his nose, and it was dripping.

"Ugh. Gah—" He stopped when he realized hands were touching the sides of his head. He didn't look, because he knew who it was.

"Feel better now?" Shuichi was standing over him, holding his hair away from his face.

"…"

"Lift your head, so I can let go of your hair."

Marik did so reluctantly, and Shu-Chan handed him a wadded up T-shirt.

"I can't…"

"It's okay. It's just a T-shirt."

Small tears stood out at the edges of Marik's closed eyes as he wiped his face.

_Why? Why did he have to see me like this?_

"You shouldn't have wolfed the food down so fast." He patted Marik's shoulder. "Once we get to Kyoto, you can have a bath and a proper meal, okay?"

((((((OO))))))

As he spoke, he held his hand over his mouth so Shu-Chan wouldn't smell his breath. "Why are you being so nice to me? For all you know, I could be a mass murderer."

Shu-Chan laughed at that. "No, you're a nice guy. Besides, I could tell that you need help."

"_I_ need help?"

"Exactly. I can see it in your eyes… this sad, lost look of desperation."

o

The images Yugi, Jou, Anzu, and Ryou beheld glowed and flickered like Duel Monster holograms.

Kaiba said, "The police did find Marik's duel disk in here yesterday, but it was taken away. My men have searched the entire room, and cannot find any explanation for this."

Laying on the floor together, their skin crisscrossed with glaring red welts, were Marik, Honda, duke, and Mai.


	15. Malik and Shuichi

o

Chapter 15: Marik and Shuichi

o

"Is there any change?"

"No. Their eyes have this dazed, half dead glaze."

"I'm almost there."

The cellar Ryou was exploring was dank and cold, with clay walls. Cheap wire hung overhead, encasing yellowed, flickering lights as they swung back and forth. There was a crack or open window somewhere, because Ryou could feel this steady breath of icy wind that chilled him to his core. His skin was as cold and wet as clay.

Soon he approached a wall of steel wire mesh, with a door leading inside. He got close, and peered through the wire. It was a small enclosure—6' x 10'. Against the wall were rusting steel shelves up to the ceiling, crowded with junk. His eyes were drawn to something that was glowing—it was in a white plastic bag, but Ryou could tell that it must be Marik's duel disk.

"I've found it", he said into his cell phone.

On the other end of the connection, Yugi smiled, and turned towards the others. "He found it."

Jou and Anzu were on their knees beside the images of Marik, Honda, Duke, and Mai.

At first, they had appeared to be in a state of fitful sleep, their eyes closed, and brows creased. If any had tried to touch them to rouse them, their hands would go through, but Jou and Anzu had been shouting all sorts of encouragements, causing them to open their eyes. However, they seemed as if catatonic, and would not respond when called to.

Kaiba was standing nearby as Jou beseeched Honda and Mai to speak to them.

"Just give up, Mutt. They can't hear you."

Jou and Anzu turned and glared at Kaiba. "We got them to open their eyes, didn't we?"

"Yeah, since when did Moneybags become a quitter?"

Kaiba snorted, but shut up.

Back in the basement of the Domino Police Station, Ryou carefully set down the cell phone, then dug into his pockets, and brought out the travel lock picking kit he'd been planning to give to Bakura for X-mas.

_It was probably a bad gift idea, but I knew it would make him smile… and Bakura's smile is so rare and precious to me._

o

It was the middle of the night in Kyoto, and all was silent save for a soft breeze. Marik stood alone on a wood plank porch, gazing out at a neatly raked stone garden. He wore a kimono of lavender over white, embroidered with delicate plum blossoms of various colors.

A woman's voice startled him. "You should get some sleep."

A beautiful woman appeared from inside the house. Marik couldn't remember her name, but she was Yuki's sister. Shuichi had told her and Yuki's father that Marik was a lost foreigner who needed help. Marik wouldn't elaborate or deny; he simply kept his eyes downcast and said thank you when they allowed him to stay.

"It's beautiful here. I really like this place."

"You can stay as long as you need to, but you'll be doing chores to earn your keep tomorrow morning."

Marik nodded heartily. He stopped, eyes wide.

_What the hell am I doing?_

He quickly turned away, his head down. "I can't stay long. I've got unfinished business elsewhere."

"You're not going back to Tokyo, are you?"

"Of course not. You couldn't pay me to set foot in that shit hole…Sorry."

Mika stepped out onto the porch to join Marik. For a few long seconds, she didn't say anything, and Marik waited.

"…They hated your looks, didn't they?"

Marik didn't realize how tense he'd been until he relaxed, and his shoulders slumped considerably.

"I watched my brother suffer through it. I know how some people can act over stupid things."

Marik covered his eyes, ashamed of how near he was to crying. "I'm very tired. I need to go to bed—"

Mika grabbed his arm. Marik looked at her with startled lavender eyes, and a tear tumbled down.

"Tell me, Marik, or it'll keep eating you up inside." Her grip wasn't very tight, but Marik couldn't fight the feeling that if he tried to pull away, she'd probably rip his arm off.

He sighed. "I've been obsessed with Japanese culture for years. I would watch every documentary on TV, check out every library book, search the web for anything involving geisha or samurai. Their lives were so exciting and elegant. I wished to be one of them."

Mika had let go. The breeze chilled him, and he hugged himself. "When I was finally able to come to Japan, I was so excited." He shook his head. "It wasn't how I expected. Tokyo was horrible."

o

Ryou had hoped that having shared the same body as a master thief, even briefly, would somehow imbue him with some of his yami's expertise. He was wrong. It took him twenty minutes to pick the lock and open the door.

There was a small ceiling window to the right of the shelves, propped open to let in a chilly night breeze. Ryou tried to close it, but it was stuck.

He opened the plastic bag and pulled out Marik's duel disk, which was activated and glowing. He spoke into the cell phone: "It's on, but there are no cards in it."

Back at the mansion, Kaiba said, "The duel disks are programmed to activate only once a duelist has placed it on his arm, and begins a duel. There's no 'on' or 'off' switch."

Marik's voice: "Destroy it."

o

It was dark. Mika had gone to bed, and Marik was alone, standing over Shuichi Shindo's futon. It was not the American version, but a mattress laid out on the floor. Shuichi was snoring softly.

Marik got closer on all fours and peered at his face.

Shuichi's breath caught in his throat, and he opened his eyes. Seeing Marik's face, he yelped, making them both jump.

Shu-Chan sat up, clutching his chest and panting. "You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry. I just…" He let the sentence hang.

"Is something wrong?"

_Yes, everything's wrong. Everything's spinning out of control._

"No." He looked at Shuichi and felt desire so powerful that he made a conscious effort not to throw Shuichi down and reenact some of his favorite fan fiction scenarios.

Shu-Chan looked at the digital clock that sat on the floor nearby. "It's 2 am. Can't you sleep?"

Marik shook his head. "I've been sleeping way too much lately."

o

"Destroy it."

Kaiba recoiled at the sound of Marik's voice. He looked at the glowing, holographic image of Marik on the floor, and saw Marik blink.

Jou and Anzu tried to get closer, but at the same time, didn't want to crowd him. "Marik!"

"Come on, talk to us!"

He shifted his gaze to look at them, but didn't move, as if paralyzed or extremely exhausted. "Destroy the duel disk."

Yugi watched this, the cell phone in his hand forgotten. "What'll happen if we do that?"

"We're in limbo. We're trapped here by that evil bitch... We want to be free."

Tears shone in Anzu's eyes. "Your bodies are... They were cut into pieces. If we set you free, you won't have anywhere to go."

"Anything's better than this."

Anzu began to cry. They all knew there was nothing they could do for their friends, except...

Tears blurring his vision, Yugi spoke into the phone: "Destroy the duel disk."

Back in the dank basement, Ryou nodded. "Okay." He set the phone down, then raised the duel disk high over his head, braced to slam it into the concrete floor.

o

Marik gasped, and leapt to his feet.

Shuichi called, "What's wrong?" and as Marik ran off, he cried out, "I gotta go do something!"

o

_SKREEEE!_

The sound was so sudden and penetrating that Ryou cried out and covered his ears, hunched over in pain. He dropped the duel disk, but it was sturdy enough to survive a simple fall.

It died down quickly, and as Ryou regained his composure, he realized it had been replaced by the sound of footprints.

_Tap... tap...tap..._

They were slow and deliberate, and they were getting closer. They were coming from outside the open window. He stared with wide eyes at the patch of jet-black night, his stomach knotting up as cold sweat shone on his pale skin.

_Tap... tap... tap..._

Even though he'd been anticipating it, he jolted when two feet stepped into view. They were woman's feet, wearing white one inch pumps, cloth, somewhat dirty. Instead of passing by, they stopped, then turned to face Ryou, and were still. All Ryou could see of this person was those feet, and he wanted nothing more than to not see the rest

_...skreee..._

Ryou was struck with the feeling that someone was standing behind him no, he was positive of it. He stood cemented in place, staring at the feet.

_It's the same person. The woman standing there is also the woman standing right behind me. I can't look at her faceif I see her face, then I'll really lose it._

Yugi's tiny voice came from the cell phone. "Ryou, are you alright? Ryou?"

The woman in the window kneltfor one horrible moment, Ryou thought she was going to look in at himand set a suitcase on the ground, then turned and walked away. The feeling that someone was behind him dissipated, and he approached the suitcase, blinking at it. It was brown leather, very simple looking.

Ryou thought about it for a moment, then put the cell phone in his pocket and hooked the duel disk onto his arm, and clamored through the window, onto the sidewalk behind the police station.

He reached for the suitcase slowly, afraid to touch it. He brushed its surface lightly with his fingertips, then tapped, then slapped it. Nothing.

He let out the breath he'd been holding, and laid it flat so he could open it.

A scratching sound came from inside the suitcase. Ryou backed up on his haunches, sucking in a huge breath.

_scratch-scratch_

A tiny girl's voice pleaded: "Help, please, I'm trapped in here..."

The suitcase was too small to hold anything larger than a newborn infant, and infants can't talk.

_What am I supposed to do?_

_-scratch-scratch-scratch_

"Please, is anyone out there? I'm trapped... I'm running out of air..."

Ryou unlatched and threw open the suitcase lid. Thousands upon thousand of flies surged forward and swarmed around him, filling his vision.

He thrashed around, trying not to inhale them. Swinging his arms, he accidentally slammed the duel disk into the wall of the police station. It cracked, and began giving off sparks. Without thinking, he reached to tear it off his arm, and was electrocuted. He slumped to the sidewalk, out cold.

o

Everyone in the den gasped and backed away, shielding their eyes. The images of Marik, Honda, Duke, and Mai burst into a whirlwind of sparkling light that glared and hurt their eyes. The light rose through the ceiling, and after it was gone, a thick cloak of darkness and sorrow fell over them.

Kaiba heard Yugi, Jou, and Anzu weeping.

One of Kaiba's guards turned on the light, and Yugi-tachi looked frantically about the room.

"They're gone."


	16. New Host Body

o

Chapter 16: New Host Body

o

"_NOOOOOOOO!"_

Hearing Marik scream, Shuichi ran and found Marik sitting cross-legged in the middle of his guest room, holding the Sennen Rod. He didn't acknowledge Shu-Chan's arrival—his gaze was darting around, fingers pressed over his mouth, sweat dripping down his face.

_He looks like he's having a panic attack!_

He went to Marik and shook him lightly by his shoulders. "Marik, hey! Daijoubu ka? Shikkari shiro!" _(Are you alright? Get it together!)_

"I'm gonna lose."

"Lose? Lose what? Come on, how can we help you if you don't—"

Marik grabbed Shuichi's upper arm with his left hand, and the back of his neck with his right. He pulled Shuichi forward and crushed their lips together in a hot, desperate kiss.

Once he'd had the kiss he'd wanted so badly, it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He used his tongue to try and pry Shuichi's lips apart, but Shu-Chan fought it, and pulled away.

"I'm with someone."

"So?" He reached for Shu-Chan, and his hand was pushed aside. Shu-Chan's countenance was steely. It was strange to see him so serious.

"Yuki and I are lovers. I'm sorry."

"You're rejecting me?"

"I'm flattered and all, but I belong to someone else."

Marik's eyelid was twitching. "You're rejecting me? _Again?"_

"Again, what do you mean?"

Marik abruptly stood and strode to the door.

"Where are you going?"

Marik stopped dead at the threshold. After a couple of seconds, he slowly turned and made eye contact. "I'm gonna go kill myself." He took of like a bolt and ran into the woods, and Shuichi followed him.

o

Ryou wouldn't answer his cell phone, so Kaiba sent a couple of guards to retrieve him. "I'm going back to the lake house."

He started to leave, but Jou ran and stood in his way. "Where do you think you're going? "

"Get out of my way, Wheeler."

"NO! We need you!"

Kaiba frowned and sweat dropped.

Jou continued, "In case you, haven't noticed, everything's turnin' to shit! Five of us are dead, not to mention Tokyo's been converted to a ghost town, and what? You're going on vacation?"

"I'm going to take care of my little brother. As far as I'm concerned, everyone else can go to hell."

"Even our friends? What about Mai and Honda? Why won't you help us? Why did you invite us all to your house if we don't mean anything to you? "

A smack, and a thud. Jou groaned, finding himself on the floor. Kaiba had punched him hard. He looked up and watched the white cloth of Kaiba's trench coat disappear behind the door.

Yugi and Anzu were beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." He stared at the door for a long time.

o

Marik waited for Shuichi in dark, dense woods, looking the other way. Now that he was away from the Uesugi family temple and all those disgusting kind people, he was starting to feel like his true self again. A cruel sneer appeared on his face, because soon Shuichi would be his.

Running footsteps, and Shuichi's voice. "Marik! Wait!" He came to a stop a few feet away. "Don't kill yourself, please! No one's worth killing yourself over!"

Marik faced the other direction as he spoke in a gentle tone, so Shuichi wouldn't see the smirk on his face. "I've always loved you, Shuichi. It's not just your music. You are a truly kind person. I love you more than anything, and if I can't have you, there's just no point…"

"How can you say that? You hardly know me!"

Marik lowered his head. "I understand that you don't love me. I'm used to it. But I've had enough. I should have done this when I was twelve." He held his hand together in front of him as if he were holding a tiny object.

"What…?"

"I have a razor. I'm going to slash my wrists."

"No, stop!" Shuichi ran up behind him and seized his arms. For a moment, Marik was surprised at the little pink-haired boy's strength, but then he forced himself backwards, knocking Shu-Chan off balance. They hit the ground together, and Marik climbed on top of him.

While Shuichi was still dazed, Marik punched him right in the eye, as hard as he could, then several more times about the face. Shuichi reached for Marik's face, tried to push him away. Marik slapped his arm hard enough to slam it into the dirt. Then he reached for something, anything—and found a baseball sized rock. He raised it high—

He hit the ground, and realized someone had jumped him. He looked up and saw soft blonde hair.

Shuichi cried out, "Yuki!"

Marik lost all sense of his body as all he could feel was Yuki's fists pounding his body again and again in crazed cadence.

"Yuki, stop! Stop!" Shuichi pulled Yuki away. He looked like a different person. He was near tears. Shuichi held Yuki in his arms, stroking his blonde hair. "It's alright… I'm okay…"

"But he was going to… He had you, and…" Yuki burst into tears and buried his face in the hollow of Shuichi's neck.

Marik slowly got to his feet. Seeing them in each other's arms like that gave Marik a weird, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He narrowed his eyes at them. "Leave him."

Shuichi looked up at him. "What?"

"Leave the crybaby here, and I'll let you live." _I need a new host body. It doesn't matter who._

"Fuck you."

"Be smart. How much use could you possibly have for such a wimp?"

"He kicked your ass, didn't he? Besides, there's no way in hell I'd leave him. I love him."

"Ugh! That fucking word again! You people throw it around like it means something!" He brandished his Sennen rod at them, and as they watched, he drew a dagger from within its hilt. "Now you will both die, unless one of you is smart enough to ditch the other."

Shuichi's response was to hold Yuki tighter. He met Marik's gaze and dared him to try something. "If you take Yuki from me, I'll fall down dead anyway."

Something about the look in Shuichi's eyes unnerved Marik. "Do you… do you really love this guy?"

"Yes."

He wilted, and shook his head. Without another word, he turned and bolted.

o

A half hour later, he was flying down the road in Yuki's car, returning to Domino City. He'd stolen the car, but let Shuichi and Yuki live. Now he was regretting it, for more reasons than one.

_Their souls were sealed within Marik's duel disk. The duel disk was broken, releasing their souls. Honda, Duke, and Mai were dismembered, so, having no bodies to return to, I'm sure they went to the underworld. Marik, however…_

_I need a new host body, NOW._

A blinding flash assaulted his senses, and he was thrown backwards in his seat. For a second, he thought he'd hit something. Then from within his mind, the real Marik's voice SCREAMED:

_GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BODY, YOU CRAZED BITCH!_

His hands went crazy, steering the car all over the road. Marik was trying to seize control.

"Marik, stop! We'll crash!"

"I don't care!"

The car half spun, then careened off of the road, and hit a tree head on. The hood of the car crunched up to take the brunt of the impact. Marik sprawled over the steering wheel, knocked unconscious.


	17. Please, Don't

o

Chapter 17: Please, Don't

o

"Don't."

The nurse froze. Her hand held a hypodermic needle, poised to pump more sedation into Bakura's bloodstream via IV. She looked in the direction the voice had come from, and saw that Bakura's eyes were open.

"Please, don't", he said. His voice was a hoarse, drug addled whisper. "I don't want to go back to sleep."

A colder nurse would've ignored him and done her job. This girl, however, was young, inexperienced, and compassionate. "This will calm you down, Bakura-San. We don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I'm already tied down. I couldn't do anything, even if I wanted to."

"But—"

"There were people in my room last night."

"What?" She leaned in closer.

"They stood around the bed and crawled around on the ceiling. Their faces were … twisted. They kept staring at me, but never spoke, and they didn't leave until the sun came up." Realizing how crazy this must sound to someone who's never experienced shadow magic, he quickly changed tactics. "I'm sorry, it was a nightmare. It wasn't real. What I mean to say is, I think that medicine has been giving me horrific nightmares."

"Oh. Uh, I'll get a doctor."

o

Yugi, Jou, and Anzu met the ambulance outside the emergency room. The doors swung open, and two paramedics jumped out, then unloaded a stretcher. Ryou was laid out upon it, still unconscious. The first thing Yugi noticed was Ryou's sneakers—each one had holes ripped out of the sides. His clothes looked as if they'd been set on fire. Ryou's face and hair were dirty.

The three followed the stretcher inside, but were not allowed to follow any further than the waiting room.

o

It was 8am Tuesday morning when a handsome Egyptian boy strode into the waiting room, then over to where the three were.

He stared at them for a few long seconds, then said, "Have you ever been kicked out of your own body? It sucks!"

"Marik!"

They all jumped up and ran over to them, overjoyed that he was alive and well. He hugged Anzu a little too long, and she gave him a smack, laughing, "Ecchi!" (_perv!)_

"So, what happened," Yugi asked, "Where have you been for the last couple of days?"

Marik's smile faded. "You saw. I was in limbo."

"Oh, what I meant was, where was your body?"

"Everything's okay, now, but I was possessed. An evil spirit took over my body."

"An evil spirit? You mean, like when Fluffy?"

Marik shook his head. "No, this was different. Fluffy was just playing around. This crazy bitch… she had an agenda, and she went crashing through any obstacle she met like a juggernaut. Fortunately, she was sidetracked, and I was able to reclaim what is mine. Otherwise, we'd all be in big trouble right now."

"'She'?"

Marik nodded, and rubbed his forehead. "I only fought her for a few seconds, but…" he shuddered. "I've never sensed such a dark, overwhelming rage."

A doctor appeared. "Your friend is fine, but we're keeping him for observation."

"Can we see him?"

"Of course."

o

Ryou was sitting up when they entered, his trademark gentle smile upon his face.

"Ryou!" Anzu ran over and hugged him.

"Thank goodness you're alright." Yugi and Jou crowded around him, but Marik hung back and kept quiet.

"You are alright, aren't ya?"

He smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine."

A loud growling sound filled the room and shook the lighting fixtures. Ryou blushed.

"Uh, Ryou," said Jou, "by any chance are you hungry?"

Anzu said, "Do you want us to get you something from the cafeteria?"

"Yes, thank you. And could you please go see how Baku-Chan is doing?"

"Of course." Yugi-tachi left.

Marik and Ryou were now alone.

Ryou met Marik's gaze without trepidation.

Something in Marik snapped, and he rushed forward. Climbing onto the bed, he sprawled over Ra-Chan, resting his hands next to the sides of Ryou's head, and leaned into him, pressing their bodies together. He brought his lips down to Ra-Chan's in a feather light kiss that deepened quickly as Marik savored the feel and taste of the lover he'd missed so desperately.

Reaching up, Ra-Chan combed his fingers into Marik's hair and parted his legs to close them around Marik. Fingers tightening in Marik's hair, he broke the kiss and breathed, "I missed you. I love you."

o

The doctor who strode into Bakura's room was a towering stick figure of a man carrying a clipboard. "Nurse tells me you don't want your medication."

"That's right. I don't exactly enjoy being strapped into bed, either." It had only been a short while, but he was already feeling more lucid. He didn't want to go back to being a zombie, slipping in and out of consciousness.

Looking at the clipboard, the doctor said, "You need your medicine, Mr. Bakura. How do you expect to get well?"

"Being doped up out of my mind is not helping me. I need my mind to be clear so I can—" he stopped himself.

The doctor looked up. "So you can what?"

Bakura sighed, "Look. I'm having an adverse reaction to the meds. Last night I was seeing things—" Feeling pain, he looked down to see a hypo jabbed into his arm, forcing more drugs into him. His eyes followed the hypo to the hand holding it, to the arm, up the chest, to the doctor's face, which was twisted into a cruel smile. "Welcome to day three, Baka-Chan."

o

17: please, don't

finish

o


	18. Damage

o

Chapter 18: Damage

o

As Yugi, Jouno, and Anzu approached the door to Bakura's room, they saw a tall, skinny doctor come out, closing the door behind himself. They sped up to meet him.

"Doctor, how is Bakura-San?"

He smiled kindly. "He's doing much better. He doesn't need to be restrained anymore."

They brightened at the news. "Is it alright to see him?"

"Of course, go right in." The doctor sped off to see other patients.

"This is wonderful," Yugi told his friends, "Bakura's alright again!" They opened the door, and went in.

Bakura was standing right in front of the TV bolted to the ceiling, in his hospital gown. The TV had been plugged back in, and turned on. Bakura was enraptured by whatever he was watching, giggling with childlike delight.

"Bakura?"

He seemed to hear, but shook his head and kept watching TV.

They got closer, and looked at the TV screen. It showed only static.

"Bakura…"

He turned and looked at them. "Do you see them?"

"See what?"

"The rings. There's three of them. One big one and two little ones." He traced the shapes on the screen with his finger, giggling again. "They're spinning. Faster and faster, and faster. They're going to keep spinning until they kill me!" He laughed boisterously.

o

"We should… stop…"

"Mmmm…."

"Yugi-tachi will be back soon."

"Mmm hmmm…"

"Marik, stop."

Marik stopped kissing and nibbling on Ryou's earlobe and neck and sat up, a small frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

"A lot has happened while you were gone."

"But everything's okay now." He leaned forward, but Ryou touched his fingertips to Marik's lips to stop him.

"Fluffy got hurt."

Marik's eyebrows raised.

"The evil spirit that took over your body… she slashed his throat."

Marik didn't seem to realize that he was making a fist tight enough to tremble, and grinding his teeth. "But he's alright, isn't he?"

"He's here, in this hospital."

Marik climbed down off of Ryou. "Which room?"

"342."

"I'll be right back." He stopped halfway to the door, and turned. "I'm almost sorry that bitch is gone. I'd love to pay her back for all the damage she's done."

o

"Bakura, maybe you should lay down…" Jouno touched Bakura's arm and tried to urge him towards the bed. Bakura slapped it away.

"I don't want to lay down!" He glared at them, then went back to watching the TV, his expression becoming cheerful again. "Faster, faster, faster, faster." He laughed.

Bakura was usually so cool and collected. It was painful to see him acting like this. Hoping to snap him out of it, Yugi said, "Ryou's hurt."

"Faster, faster. Ha, ha-ha."

"He got electrocuted. He was admitted…"

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"He walked over to the wall and started rubbing his palms against its surface, shuddering in delight. Jouno backed towards the door. "I'm gonna get a doctor."

o

"Doctor Hiroshi Yamaguchi. Paging Dr. Hiroshi Yamaguchi to room 613."

The tall skinny doctor ignored the page and stayed where he was, hunched over a payphone, receiver pressed to his ear.

"Well, it's important. I need to speak to him right away… …Can you at least give me his cell phone number? Hello? Hello!" He took the receiver away from his ear and glared at it, then crushed it into the base, injuring his hand.

He observed his trembling, aching hand, and wondered if the damage would be devastating.

_This Yamaguchi guy's a doctor. How tragic if he were to lose his livelihood._

He was alone in an alcove that had only two payphones and an exit. Leaning against the wall, he gazed up at the ceiling,.

_I need you. I need to see you again._

He shook his head, then looked down at the doctor's hands.

_But first, I need a new body that can use the Sennen rod. It's a short list._

"Doctor!"

He jumped a foot into the air, then saw Jouno.

"You gotta help my friend, Doc. He's much worse. He's acting crazy—well, crazier than usual, and—"

A flash of light, then pain, and the floor. Jouno lay dazed, his nose bleeding.

o

Bakura had stopped rubbing the walls. He leaned his forehead against the surface, cupping his hands over the sides of his head to hide his eyes. He was mumbling to himself.

Yugi approached slowly.

"Be careful," said Anzu softly.

Once he was standing beside him, he spoke in a calm, soothing voice. "Bakura?"

He stopped mumbling, but didn't move.

"Bakura, it's me, Yugi. Do you want to talk to me?"

"…Yugi."

"That's right. We want to help you, Bakura."

"You can't. No one can. My hikari and I are fucked." He turned his head and brought his hand down enough to make eye contact. "I'm completely worthless. I can't even protect him"

"Ryou?"

He hid his face again. "My hikari. My precious light. I love him so much."

o

The door squeaked as Marik opened it.

…_skreee…_

He winced. _That fucking sound… I'll probably hear it everywhere I go now. _

There was a short hallway, with a door to the left opening to a bathroom. Straight ahead was Fluffy's room. Marik walked in that direction. As he passed by the door to the bathroom, his peripheral vision caught something. He stopped, and looked.

Standing in the bathroom, drenched in well water, was Samara.

Marik gasped, and rubbed his eyes. When he looked again, nothing was there.

He walked faster. Just before he got into Fluffy's room, an image invaded his mindFluffy was dead. Somehow, the evil bitch was still around, and she had come in and hacked Fluffy up, just like she killed Honda, Duke, and Mai. Marik saw it clearly… the hospital room covered in blood, the ceiling dripping with it. Pieces of Fluffy's corpse laying all over the floor. On the bed, in the middle of a thick, coagulating puddle of blood, was Fluffy's severed head, positioned to smile dementedly at any who entered—

Marik cried out, and bounded into the room. "Fluffy!"

He turned on the light, and Fluffy woke up, squinting and shielding his eyes. He was still bandaged around his throat, but otherwise, okay.

"Who the fuck—" He saw that it was Marik, and he quickly sat up.

Tears of relief in his eyes, Marik ran and jumped onto the bed. Straddling Fluffy, he wrapped his arms around his yami's neck and hugged him tight. Fluffy's hands stroked Marik's hair, then wandered down to the small of his back, and settled there. They held each other, each glad the other was alright.

"…You lied, didn't you? Saturday night, when we all watched it together, and the phone rang…"

They backed up enough to look into each other's eyes. "I didn't want to scare you. I thought Bakura and I could handle it…"

"We're in trouble, aren't we? The four of us… Seven days…"

"Four, now."


	19. Deadline

Kimyo: Damn, it's been forever since I updated. I was waiting 'til I could get a ride to the library, but things kept coming up. I've been down, and I think it's lack of updating. Yep. I am going to type until my wrists hurt and my eyes are bleary, or until my brother comes home and kicks me out of his room, whichever comes first.

I've decided not to change anything in the repost except for the lack of smutty lemons. I thought about toning them down, but I don't know much about restraint. So, you don't really need to reread this, unless you'd like to refresh your memory. If you do, please drop a line and let me know you're still here.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far: Lothwen the Harpist, RaeChan, MarikRules, KrystalMountain, marikslildevil, InsaneShadowFan, Sami Ryou's Hikari, OBSESSED Uber Rei, bakuraxryou, Domina DeNox, Mana the Authoress, SS Celes, bakura 18, Domina and Her Fluffy Backbiting Flowers of Doom, lilcupcake, and sprinklescake67. I think that's everyone, hope I didn't miss anyone. Hopefully I'll have this caught up soon so we can finally move on to what happens next!

o

o o

Chapter 19: Deadline

o o

o

The two bleach-haired yamis waited in the stairwell. All the walls were concrete. The stairs were cement poured into framework. They were waiting for their hikaris so they could all sneak out of the hospital.

Bakura sniffed, feeling chilled, and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. "What time is it?"

"It's 1am. Wednesday."

BakuChan's eyes widened and he snarled, "Shit, it's already fucking _Wednesday?_ How..." He rubbed his forehead. "Fucking drugs."

"Are you coming down yet?"

BakuChan blinked hard, feeling unnerved. He sighed and closed his eyes. _I can't wait for these drugs to leave my body, so I can feel like myself again._

He had his back pressed against the wall, its cold comfort grounding him. He started to feel as if the room were moving around beyond his closed eyelids. He felt himself losing consciousness...

Out of the wall came Sadako's arm. It snaked around Bakura's waist and took hold of him, blood and pus shimmering on her torn fingertips.

Bakura gasped and his eyes snapped open as he jumped away from the wall. There was nothing there.

"What's wrong with you?" Fluffy was leaning against the guardrail, his arms crossed, his deep purple Rare Hunters cloak covering most of his body.

Bakura frowned. "Were you always wearing that?"

"Of course." He tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

He turned and pointed at the wall. "There was an arm..." He looked at Fluffy again. "Am I awake?"

"Yes."

"How do I know you're not just saying that? How do I know I'm not having another fucking nightmare?" His eyes darted, trying to assess his surroundings.

Fluffy pinched Bakura's face very hard.

_"Ow!"_ He rubbed it and pouted at Fluffy.

"There. You're awake. Don't fall apart on me."

The door opened, making a loud metal scraping sound that echoed up and down the stairwell. Malik entered, followed by RaChan. As he and his yami laid eyes on each other, their faces lit up.

Bakura opened his arms, and Ryou ran to him.

"BakuChan!"

They embraced, something Bakura never would have allowed before any of this started.

They backed and looked into each other's eyes.

"Daijoubu ka, BakuChan?"

He nodded. "I'm alright. Are you...?"

"Yes." He hugged his yami tighter.

Malik and Fluffy were starting down the stairs. "Wanna wrap up the love-in, boys? We've got a curse to break."

o o o

"Your car looks like shit."

It was parked in the alley between the hospital and another building... Eiri Yuki's stolen car.

"Yeah, I crashed it into a tree, but it's still drivable." Malik noticed the others' stony faces.

"What?"

Fluffy gave Malik a sharp whack on the ass, making him yelp. "I'm an insane yami and even I know better than to drive around in a wrecked, stolen car."

"Well, it's not like the four of us will fit on my motorcycle."

"Let's just take the bus," RaChan offered.

Malik and Fluffy scowled.

Bakura perked and looked around. "Someone's coming."

They ran and hid behind some trashcans. Soon, a sleek black car appeared and parked near Yuki's car. The driver's door opened and a tall man with long, blonde hair in a ponytail emerged. The passenger's door opened and Shuichi Shindo stepped out. He covered his mouth and nose. "Man, it really stinks in here." He and the blonde approached Yuki's car.

"That's it, alright. Now, to track down the thief." The anonymous blonde pulled out a rifle and cocked it, making Shuichi and the four hidden blondes sweat drop.

Bakura glared daggers at Malik, who smiled nervously and shrugged.

ShuChan stepped forward, looking up and down the garbage-addled alley.

"Malik?"

No reply.

Malik, we're not angry. I just want to talk, and help you, if I can."

BakuChan snorted. "Does he really expect anyone to..." Air rushed past him. He blinky-blinked, then realized that Malik and Fluffy were now glomping ShuChan.

Malik nuzzled the hollow of ShuChan's neck. "You're so adorable. I've got your album, and I went to your concert..."

Fluffy stuck his tongue in ShuChan's ear, making him laugh. "Mmm, my favorite song is 'Glaring Dream'."

"I like 'The Rage Beat'."

The ponytailed blonde took aim with the rifle and shot Malik and Fluffy in the heads. They hit the ground.

Ryou jumped up, tears in his eyes. "Malik! Fluffy!"

They slowly sat up, groaning and rubbing their heads. Ryou knelt beside Malik. "Are you alright?"

"Well, I'm not dead."

"Don't worry," ShuChan assured them, "Mr. K uses special bullets. They're non-lethal."

"But they hurt like a mad bastard."

Sighing to himself, Bakura came out of hiding and joined the group.

o o o

They were stuffed rather uncomfortably into the backseat of K's car. Bakura and Fluffy sat at the windows, with Ryou and Malik in the middle. Chin in hand, Bakura gazed out the window. He hadn't noticed when it had started raining.

_...three days left..._

ShuChan was sitting sideways, talking to them. Bakura didn't participate in the discussion, but he listened.

"...So, the cursed tape is real? When's your deadline?"

"Saturday."

"X-mas." Ryou chuckled humorlessly.

"That's not much time at all, but I'll help any way I can."

Malik shook his head. "We can't ask you to risk your life for us. You're too important."

RaChan nodded. "You should go back to Kyoto. You'll be safe there."

"There's no way I'm gonna leave you guys to deal with this alone. I'm staying."

_click!_

Still driving with one hand, K's other hand suddenly had a handgun pointed at ShuChan's head, the barrel pressing against his temple. "We're dropping them off, then going back to Kyoto."

ShuChan didn't flinch. "I'm staying."

KSan cocked the gun.

"Can't you see that this is more important than the new album?"

Fluffy bounced up in his seat. "New album? What are the songs like? Can you sing a few lines?"

Malik started hopping up and down. "Yeah, yeah, sing something!"

Bakura rolled his eyes and squeezed Ryou's hand a little tighter.

o o o

Yugi and Anzu had searched the entire hospital, but couldn't find Jouno.

They stood in the lobby. It was almost 2 am.

"He wouldn't just leave us," said Anzu. "Something has happened to him, I can feel it."

Yugi touched her hand, and she took him in a tight embrace. They wept together. They were the only ones left in the circle of friendship.

"Yugi...?" She held his face, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. Her eyes scanned his for a moment, then she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. She closed her eyes, and tears ran down to their lips, giving the kiss a salty warmth. Unsure of himself, Yugi placed his hands on Anzu's hips and returned the kiss as well as he could, trying to convey all his affection through touch.

They broke and hugged each other again.

Yugi whispered, "I've always wished you would do that." He closed his eyes and found himself thinking about Yami.

A male voice: "Yugi!"

They looked up to see Yugi's grandfather approaching, with a police officer in tow.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

o o o

Malik's Harley FXDB Daytona was gone.

He stood and stared dumbly up and down the communal carport, seeing only the vehicles belonging to neighbors, and an empty slot where he usually parked. He didn't seem to notice Ryou and Bakura standing behind him, or the fact that his mouth was hanging open.

Fluffy sauntered up and hooked his arm around Malik's shoulder, a playful grin on his face as he used his free hand to close Malik's mouth, clicking his teeth shut.

ShuChan and Mr. K had parked the car, and now joined the group. ShuChan arched an eyebrow at the eerie silence. "What's wrong? Why isn't anyone talking?"

RaChan wondered, "Stolen?"

Malik snapped to. He looked at RaChan and held up a keychain, jingling it. "But I've got the keys right here." He pulled away from Fluffy and kicked one of the carport's support columns. "Fuck!"

"Malik, there you are." A tiny old lady in layers of kimono approached the group. "Ah, and Fluffy's here, too. I was starting to worry about you two."

"Our landlady," Malik told Shuichi.

She smiled sweetly at them through coke bottle glasses. "Why, Fluffy, what happened to your throat?"

He smiled back. "I cut myself shaving."

"You need to be more careful." She looked around at them. "Why don't you all come into my parlor for tea and cookies?"

"Thanks, but we're in kind of a hurry..." He gazed sadly at the empty slot again. "Did you see who took my motorcycle?"

Mrs. Yoshikawa's expression became stern. "Malik, I'll only tell you this once: Stay away from drugs."

"Huh? What?"

"You probably crashed it somewhere..." She turned and headed for her office, and they followed her.

o o o

They all sat in Mrs. Yoshikawa's parlor eating pecan sandies. It was a small Japanese style room, with a tatami mat floor, and a kotatsu being the focal piece of furniture.

Malik was shamelessly packing away the cookies as fast as he could. RaChan and ShuChan each ate one. Mr. K sat against the wall, rifle in hand, and Fluffy didn't eat any, either. Bakura wouldn't even look at the platter stacked high with pecan sandies topped heavily with powdered sugar. The truth was, he wished he could sit down beside Malik and devour them all, but he didn't want anyone to see him doing that.

Malik finished, and RaChan giggled, "You've got powdered sugar all over your face." Napkin in hand, he lovingly cleaned Malik's face, while Bakura became fascinated with a scroll hanging on the other wall.

Mrs. Yoshikawa sighed, "I can't sleep worth a shit lately. Every night this week, no matter what I do, I can't fall asleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. Then I wake up at 6 or 7 'cause I have to pee, and can't fall asleep again." She sipped from her tea cup.

Ryou said, "Maybe the tea you drink has caffeine in it."

"Oh, this isn't tea. It's Pepsi." She sipped contentedly.

Malik took a few swallows from his own cup, which was cocoa. "So anyway, did you talk to me Sunday?"

She gave him a look and RaChan jumped in. "Malik got a bump on the head, so he can't remember much of what happened that day."

"So, that's what happened. Well, let's see, I waved goodbye when your friends picked you up in that car. I was so glad you didn't take your motorcycle, the weather being as bad as it was..."

"Did you see him again after that?"

"Yes, when he came back alone."

o o o

Honking, the 18-wheeler pulled over to the side of the road in the outskirts of Domino. A boy walked up to it and climbed in.

The pudgy middle aged driver looked his new passenger over. The boy was wearing black leather pants and a thick black coat. He had blonde hair and chocolate colored eyes.

"Where ya headin', Boy?"

"Just keep going straight."

The truck pulled away from the shoulder and picked up a little speed, tooling down the road.

Nervous, the driver made an attempt at small talk. "So, what brings you to Japan?"

Jouno glared at him.

He chuckled self consciously. "The weather's been a real bitch, ne?"

After a few long seconds, Jouno directed his gaze straight ahead. "I don't like answering questions. Turn here."

The driver did it without thinking and was suddenly off his route.

"Keep driving." He gazed out the window at the trees whipping past. He held the softly glowing Sennen Rod upon his lap.

o o o

The door to Malik and Fluffy's apartment was open just a crack. Malik pushed it open with his fingertips, and the six men entered the disaster area inside. Papers and books were strewn around in the livingroom. It looked as if they'd been robbed, except the TV and stereo were untouched. Malik saw through the kitchen doorway that the cabinets had all been left wide open, and the drawers were hanging out as far as they'd go. He frowned, then felt Ryou's hand weaving its fingers between his and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. He squeezed back, feeling disturbed at the thought of that evil bitch looking through his things.

Mr. K and Fluffy were looking through the rest of the rooms: Malik and Fluffy's bedrooms, and the bathroom they shared.

ShuChan knelt, looking at the papers on the floor. It seemed to just be schoolwork. The books were mostly textbooks, stuff on ancient civilizations... "Why did she make such a mess? Was she looking for something?"

Bakura thought first of the millennium items, but he knew Malik no longer possessed any. He couldn't think of anything else Malik had that was of any importance.

Fluffy called out, "You better come take a look at this."

They followed his voice into Malik's bedroom. The light in the adjoining bathroom was on, and the door was wide open. Fluffy was leaning against the doorframe, waiting for them. Ryou became aware of a bad smell coming from the bathroom, not the kind of smell you'd expect. He was suddenly reminded of something he hadn't thought about in years... When he was little, he'd had a pet rat named Moshi. She'd lived to the ripe old age of three years, and when she'd died, he'd been reluctant to let go. He'd put her in a shoebox, but kept it for days to make sure she was truly dead. Soon, she'd begun to rot...

Malik recognized one of his outfits crumpled on the floor, caked with dried blood. The bathtub was stained with a rusty tinge.

"It's their blood... Honda, Duke, and Mai..." Clamping a hand over his mouth, Malik backed until he bumped into the wall, then slid down to the floor. Hands covering his face, he was shocked to feel tears tumbling from his eyes. RaChan's embrace surrounded him, and soft words warmed his earlobe: "It wasn't you, Malik. You didn't do this."

"But I did. The prank... It was my idea."

Fluffy growled, "Nevermind that. We need to clean up this mess before anyone sees."

There was knocking at the door.

Everyone froze, hoping whoever it was would go away.

More knocking.

"Malik Ishtar, this is the Domino City Police! Open the door!"

19

deadline

finish


	20. Bullets and Cruisers

o

o o

Chapter 20: Bullets and Cruisers

o o

o

"We need to clean up this mess before anyone sees it."

There was knocking at the door.

Everyone froze, hoping whoever it was would go away.

More knocking.

"Malik Ishtar, this is the Domino City Police! Open the door!"

KSan went to the bedroom door, hand cannon drawn. He peered around the doorframe, into the livingroom. The windows had gauzy white curtains, through which he saw the silhouette of a cop trying to peek in.

ShuChan was doing a frantic dance. "SHIT! What do we DO?"

"Stop panicking. You're a rock star. Any publicity is good publicity."

"No, not that! How are we supposed to stop the curse if we're in jail? Besides which.." He pointed emphatically in the direction of the bathroom.

Fluffy leaned towards BakuChan. "Use your shadow magic."

BakuChan leaned even closer, not wanting anyone to hear, and whispered into Fluffy's ear.

Shocked, Fluffy repeated:

_"YOU'RE OUT OF SHADOW MAGIC?"_

All eyes were drawn to Bakura, who narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, but was out of ideas. He hated that RaChan was looking at him with such pity in his eyes.

Hearing a sound, they all looked into the kitchen and saw KSan diggin cleansers out from under the sink.

After a moment, Fluffy got what he was planning, and went to help him.

o o o

There were five police officers outside the third floor apartment, and a dozen more surrounding the building. Yugi and Anzu stood together on the parking lot below.

On the sidewalk not too far away from them stood a cute newsreporter in a winter coat. She did breathing exercises while the cameraman counted down, then came alive: "This is Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi, reporting live from the Domino Hills apartment complex in Domino City. Police are poised to arrest one of the prime suspects in connection with the gory mass murder that took place Sunday at the estate of Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corporation. The.."

A loud _boom,_ and she was knocked off her feet as Malik's windows blew outward, raining fire and broken glass on the parking lot, sending cops running for cover. Flames belched out of the window frames, licking up towards the roof. Fortunately, the building had no fourth floor.

KSan stormed out, handgun and rifle ready, and opened fire.

The cops gushed blood from their wounds and dropped like flies.

As KSan stepped out onto the balconey, all but ignoring the bullets flying around him, Fluffy, Malik, and Bakura emerged. They were wearing heavy coats that kept their forms hidden, standing in a horseshoe formation around RaChan and ShuChan, who were wrapped in Rare Hunters cloaks for protection. Trembling, RaChan raised his head just enough to see past the hood covering most of his face. He saw cops below, firing at them from behind police cruisers.

KSan shot back at them, covering while the first three jumped from the third floor balconey to the roof of the communal carport. Malik and Bakura hit the surface feet first, then fell on their asses; Fluffy landed gracefully, like a cat.

Malik and Bakura stood, arms outstretched.

"Hurry up!"

RaChan looked back and forth between his aijin and his yami, feeling confused. ShuChan went ahead of him and jumped into Malik's arms. RaChan snapped out of it and leapt into Bakura's waiting arms.

There were too many police cruisers crammed into the parking lot, boxing in KSan's car. They all jumped to the ground. KSan and Fluffy led the way. They wove a path between the vehicles, firing off endless rounds. Even though it was his first time firing a gun, Fluffy took to it downright gleefully.

Malik and BakuChan draped themselves over ShuChan and RaChan as they followed in KSan and Fluffy's wake.

o o o

Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi had regained her composure and wiped most of the soot off her face, and was reporting the human drama. "And it's come to this, Domino! An old fashioned shootout! Malik Ishtar is shooting a bloody path through the police, accompanied by five unidentified men." The camera panned over and zoomed in on the group moving between the police cars.

o o o

Something caught Ryou's eye, and he looked to see Yugi and Anzu standing to their side, beyond the field of police cars. What Ryou saw frightened him, even in the midst of everything else. Yugi's eyes blazed with such sorrow and anger. At that moment, Ryou understood everything Yugi was feeling.

_He thinks we killed Yami. He thinks we're getting away with it. He won't let it happen._

Yugi jerked into a dash and headed them off, standing between the last two cruisers, arms outspread. "I won't let you get away with this!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Fluffy shot Yugi in the forehead. He fell like a sack and thudded on the ground. Anzu screamed, hands clutching her lower face.

_"How COULD you?"_

She threw herself at him, swinging with both fists. He shoved her to the ground, and fired several times into her face.

Ryou screamed, his voice muffled as he buried his face in Bakura's embrace, bursting into horrified sobs.

o o o

Seeing all this, Keiko shrieked, "Holy shit! Did you get that?"

Shaking, the cameraman said, "Hell yeah!"

They whooped and high fived.

"Shit, they're getting away!"

Two stolen police cruisers raced down the street. The reporter and cameraman hauled ass to their news van.

o o o

RaChan and Bakura were in the first car, which was being driven by Fluffy. Tears were streaming down Ryou's face. _"Why? Why did you kill them?"_

Fluffy shrugged. "It seemed like the thing to do."

o o o

The sky was paling. Sunrise was imminent. Mrs. Yoshikawa stood on the stoop outside her office, hands on her hips, and frowned at the fiery hole that was once Malik's apartment.

_Damn cops gotta blow everything up._

Turning back, she went into her office and came back with a cane she didn't really need, but kept in case anyone pissed her off enough to deserve a whack.

She walked among the police laying around on the parking lot, poking them roughly.

"Wake up. Get up, now. You can't sleep here."

Groaning, they stirred and slowly sat up, rubbing their heads and wiping the blood from their faces.

o o o

Driving like a tremendously confident maniac even though there was no traffic, Fluffy glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Ryou sobbing openly in Bakura's arms. "What the hell are you crying about?"

He stopped crying and lifted his head to glare icily at Fluffy. "What am I crying about? You just killed Yugi and Anzu!"

Fluffy rolled his eyes. "KSan's bullets are non fatal, remember?"

"... Oh."

Malik's voice came from the police radio. "Hey, guys, how y'all doing?"

"We're fine. Ryou was crying like a little baby over Yugi and Anzu.."

Bakura snatched the radio from Fluffy's hand. "Eyes on the road." Hanging over into the front seat with his ass in the air, he said, "What do we do now? What's our next step?"

"We should try to find a.."

Fluffy's eyes widened and as he swiveled his head to marvel at the stupidity of his comrades, the car swerved onto the sidewalk. Bakura fell sideways and dropped the radio. Annoyed, Fluffy drove back onto the street, thankful that the car had only knocked over that one mailbox. They needed to be inconspicuous, after all.

Growling, Bakura crawled into the front seat and picked up the radio. "Nice driving."

"How many 'stupid' pills did you take? That's a police radio!"

The look in BakuChan's eyes made it clear that he didn't understand, so Fluffy continued. "Anything you say into that can be heard by anyone in Domino City who has a radio. The police, for instance."

BakuChan raised his eyebrows and looked at the radio in his hands, surprised it could do so much.

A voice blared out of it: _"BAKURA!"_

He jumped and dropped it again, then picked it up. He had not recognized the voice. After a bit of hesitation, he said, ".. What do you want?"

"Why, Bakura? Why did you kill Yami?" It was Little Yugi.

"I didn't kill the pharaoh, you little prick!"

"Don't lie to me! I heard you and Ryou on the tape!"

"What tape?"

"The 911 call you made from my bedroom!"

_..Now, we have to leave!_

_Ah! BakuChan, that hurts!_

"Tell me why you did it, Bakura! Tell me where the Millennium Puzzle is!"

"I would love to give you the millennium puzzle, Yugi, then you could conjure up the pharaoh and ask him why he laid this curse upon our heads!"

o o o

In the second stolen police car sat Malik and ShuChan, being driven by KSan. They sat in the backseat, listening as Yugi and Bakura argued.

"What the hell?"

ShuChan was pointing out the window, at the newsvan that had just pulled up alongside them. Ignoring the speed and danger, Keiko leaned out of the newsvan's side door and signaled for them to roll their window down. Dumbfounded, ShuChan obliged.

Pulling out her trusty microphone, she yelled over the engines and wind: "Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi, Nine O'Clock News! Can you give us a statement?"

Malik leaned out the window, a frisky smile on his face. "Show us your tits and we'll think about it!"

KSan sweatdropped.

Malik laughed. "Hey, she's doing it! She's unbuttoning her blouse!"

ShuChan was leaning out beside Malik, when the wind swept his hood up, uncovering his face.

Keiko gasped. "Shuichi Shindo?" She turned and spoke to the camera: "And there you have it, folks! One of Malik Ishtar's companions is none other than Shuichi Shindo, lead singer of Bad Luck!" She turned and thrust her mic out of the van, in the direction of ShuChan's face. "Shindo San! Are you involved in the massacre at Kaiba Mansion?"

ShuChan was a bit irked. "Of course not! I'm helping him prove his innocence!"

"Oh...! So, when's Bad Luck's next album coming out?"

"We haven't even started recording it yet! If I die Saturday, I'd like Ryuichi Sakuma to record the vocals in my place! The lyrics are in the drawer on the.."

KSan suddenly swerved onto a side street. ShuChan and Malik almost fell out the window together, but managed to hang on.

"K! What the hell was that for? You almost killed me!"

He didn't reply. Instead, he grabbed the radio. Yugi and Bakura could still be heard arguing bitterly.

"Both of you SHUT UP!"

Silence.

"Yugi, give us until Saturday. If we haven't captured the real criminal by then, we will gladly hand ourselves over to the police."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because we know who it is, and we're your only chance at getting the millennium puzzle back."

"... Then let me help."

"No. Just leave it in my capable hands." He dismissed Yugi then. "Fluffy!"

"Yeah?"

"Azalp Onimod ta suh teemd neh rahk uth chid." _(backwards: Ditch the car and meet us at Domino Plaza.)_

"Yeah, okay."

o o o

In Kyoto, Eiri Yuki was asleep, sprawled on his futon, dead to the world. He didn't so much as twitch when the door slid open.

ShuChan's best friend, Hiro, entered, followed by his girlfriend Ayaka.

Hiro knelt and nudged Yuki's shoulder. "Yuki. Wake up."

He turned onto his other side and went back to sleep.

"Shuichi was on the news. He needs our help."

After a few seconds, he rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. "I told that moron not to go to Domino."

20

bullets and cruisers

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Kimyo: Thanks, everyone! Seeing your reviews got me fired up!

Sami Ryou's Hikari, the chapters to go 'til we're caught up are: Tiny Voice, One Hundred Percent Fun, Blood Red, Crimson and Kisses, Malik, Obsessed, Dangerous Blonde, and The Duel Begins!

Thanks also go to KrystalMountain, SilverShadowFire, InsaneShadowFan, and MariksLilDevil!


	21. Tiny Voice

o

o o

Chapter 21: Tiny Voice

o o

o

_What a wretched figure I must pose..._

All Jouno could hear were raindrops slapping the forest floor and his quick, shallow breaths. He stepped slowly, deliberately, trying not to slip on the muddy uphill trail he trudged upon. He was soaked through his layers of clothes, frozen to the bone. He shivered uncontrollably, his bangs plastered to his forehead.

He stopped and looked up to where the trail disappeared in the fog. The trees around him were slender and young, but densely packed. There were no signs of civilization about. The trail he stood on was used mostly in the summer.

He felt ill from lack of food and sleep, and was exhausted from hours of hiking up this trail. For some time now, the predominant thought on Jouno's mind had been how nice it would be to simply collapse in the mud and sleep for a while.

_I can't stop... I'm so close... I'm so close!_

He sighed and closed his eyes for a few moments, then forced his legs to start walking again.

_I'm almost there. He's waiting for me. Once I see him, it'll be worth it._

_I'll see you again... Those beautiful eyes, that steely gaze... and this time, you'll love me. _

_I'll make you love me, I don't care what it takes._

_... I'm so close!_

o o o

"How did it get to be night?"

ShuChan gazed at the darkening sky. He stood with KSan, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, and Fluffy by an immense water fountain in Domino Plaza. There were people milling about, walking quickly. Everyone except K was wearing a Rare Hunters cloak or a heavy coat with the hood pulled up. They had been on TV all day, eluding the police. The footage of Malik's apartment exploding was getting old.

Everyone was giving them a wide berth.

Ryou sighed, "I'd love a hot shower right now." He, Bakura, and Fluffy had jumped out of their police car and escaped into the sewers.

Fluffy tugged up the collar of his shirt and sniffed it, then sighed the breath out as if he were smelling good food or fine perfume. "Ah, the sweet scent of success."

RaChan sweatdropped. _Hard to believe such a strange creature was sprung from my beautiful aijin._ He smiled at Malik, who smiled back.

KSan's cell phone rang. "Yeah. Okay, we're on our way."

o o o

Anzu frowned at the pockmarks the bullets had left in her face. "Do you think they'll scar?"

When Yugi didn't answer, she turned away from her mirror and looked at him. "Yugi?"

He sat on Anzu's bed, feet dangling over the edge, head lowered. He looked absolutely defeated.

She walked across the room and knelt before him, taking his hands into her own. "It'll be alright, trust me."

He looked up at Anzu, his face streaked with tears. His eyes wavering frantically, he pulled her into his arms with a sudden ferocity that took Anzu's breath away. After a second, she realized he was crying.

"...Yugi..."

He drew back and a reflection of something golden caught her eye. She realized that Yugi was holding the Millennium Tauk, from Ishizu's necklace.

"I used it... to look... and..."

"What is it? What did you see?"

"Everyone's going to die."

o o o

The boys were taken to a scuzzy part of town, to what appeared to be an office building under construction. The perimeter was marked by a high concrete wall. The boys were in two dingy old taxi cabs. They were driven past "Under Construction" and "Stay Out" signs, through heaps of debris piled high outside the building, to a heavily chained entrance. They all got out and the cabs drove off, wheels screeching with a suddenness that made RaChan jump and grab Bakura.

Bakura looked at him, causing him to blush and back away. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Malik crinkled his nose at the looks of the place.

Fluffy grumbled, "I'm not going in there. I'm already getting flashbacks of that damn hole in the ground in Egypt."

KSan unlocked the chains, and he disappeared into the shadows. Bakura and Ryou followed, hand in hand.

The two Egyptians lingered, not wanting to go into that familiar dark. They didn't seem to notice that they were squeezing each other's hands tight enough to turn their fingers white.

ShuChan paused at the entrance, then turned and smiled kindly at them before going in. They allowed themselves to be drawn in after him.

There was a large area with a concrete floor, and many pillars. The ceiling was high, with moonlight glowing through a bank of industrial windows high above floor level. The floor was littered with dustballs, little bits of trash, and the dried out shells of dead cockroaches.

KSan led the way, his lighter casting a dim glow. Their footfalls echoed and bounced off the far walls.

Malik frowned, his arm hooked around his yami's elbow. "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"That sound, that fucking sound." He stopped and pulled away, his hands clamped over his ears. "Shut up shut up _SHUT UP!"_ He was hyperventilating.

The others stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"What is it?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Fluffy put his arms around his hikari in an attempt to calm him. Malik struck out at him, knocking him backwards. "She's here, she's pressing on me from all sides! She's still inside me...!" He clawed at his chest, fingernails digging into his flesh.

They tried to stop him. He screamed and thrashed about. "She's here! She's crawling on the ceiling!"

They followed Malik's gaze, but nothing was there. They looked all over, but saw nothing.

Malik was held fast in his yami's arms, tears in his eyes, breathing in shallow gasps.

Bakura was chagrined and somewhat disgusted to see the former leader of the Rare Hunters in such pathetic form. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

Fluffy would have slapped him if not for Malik in his arms. "He's claustrophobic."

Bakura looked around. "This place is huge! What are you throwing a fit over?" He sneered dispassionately at Malik, who wilted in Fluffy's arms.

Ryou stepped forward. "I get it. This must be just like Egypt, right, Malik?"

He nodded.

Ryou intertwined his fingers with Malik's, and Fluffy took Malik's other hand. They gently pulled him along, and he started walking again.

Bakura followed behind them. He could hear RaChan murmurring reassurances in Malik's ear.

"It'll be okay. We're in Japan, everything's okay..."

_Yeah, right._ Bakura made no attempt to keep his voice down: "What a fucking baby."

o o o

The drapes were all closed. The only two lights in the immense room were the fire blazing in the oversized hearth, and the glow of the computer screen. The only sounds were the crackling flame and the endless _click, tap_ on the keyboard.

The tall doors cracked open and a man in a black suit stood in the doorway. "Master Kaiba, you have a phone call."

Kaiba didn't stop. "I said no interruptions."

"It's Yugi Mutou, Sir."

The _click, tap_ stopped. Kaiba swiveled in his leather chair and picked up the phone. "Yugi."

"I need your help, Kaiba."

o o o

They approached a rusty steel door that looked like it must be two feet thick.

RaChan frowned. "There's no doorknob..."

KSan reached into a hole where the wall and floor met. His arm went in up to the shoulder. Soon something _clicked,_ and the door slowly swung open on its own.

The first thing that met Bakura's eyes was the color gold, and he felt a brief nostalgia about his days as a tomb robber.

The pillars in the next room were gold. The floor was covered in designer carpeting. There was a large desk and a sitting area with plush leather furniture around a bubbling fountain.

A young man in a black suit strode up to them and welcomed them with a smile: "Good evening, Gentlemen. Welcome to the Hotel Tetra."

The Tetra was Domino's most secret hotel. The staff was quite accustomed to celebrities and VIPs checking in, people who treasured privacy above all else. It was perfect. Not even the police or press knew about it, but KSan did.

When they checked in, the girl behind the desk didn't bat an eye. "I saw you on the news today. I was hoping you'd get away." There was a tiny 5" x 5" screen TV behind the desk.

"Hmm, that reminds me," said Malik. "When did people start watching TV again? Aren't they afraid of what might happen?"

"Most people are fools. They can witness the most bizarre things, and as soon as it's over, their little minds get right to work digging around for a logical explanation."

"Excuse me," said ShuChan, "but where's your gift shop?"

She pointed the way.

"I'll be right back." He ran off.

She handed KSan a key. "I took the liberty of giving you SakumaSan's usual suite. I hope it pleases."

o o o

There were other guests going about their business. There were very familiar faces, mostly politicians. ShuChan left them alone, and they left ShuChan alone.

The gift shop was pretty small, with very large windows, but Shuichi couldn't see into them. He frowned and stopped just a few feet away. The windows were filthy, as if they had been painted over. He started and realized that all the people were gone. Everyone. Even stranger, ShuChan could see the check in desk from where he stood. His companions were no longer there, and the desk clerk was gone, too.

Shuichi became aware of a strange throbbing sound lodged in his ears. He looked at the windows again and realized that they were painted with blood.

Footsteps came running up behind Shuichi.. a mad dash. Just as the footsteps reached him, he jumped and pivoted on his heel in a defensive stance, eyes alert and nervous.

Nothing was there, but he heard a small girl laughing.

He took a deep breath... "Whoever you are, come out and show yourself! I mean you no harm, my friends and I just want to help you!"

A long pause. Slowly, the sound rose...

_...skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..._

A tiny voice: _"...please..."_

It came from inside the gift shop.

_"...please, god, please..."_

He stepped into the doorway. The interior was empty, with a mud floor. Laying on the middle of the floor was a tiny little girl. She had been beaten. She gazed at the ceiling, tears pouring from her eyes. Her voice was so weak and soft...

_"... please, god, please..."_

Her panties were on one ankle, inside out. She'd been raped.

Shuichi ran to her.

_I'll scoop her up into my arms and carry her to the front desk. They must have doctors._

Before he reached her, he tripped over something, and hit the floor. He gasped and jumped back to his feet, because he thought he'd fallen on the girl.

"Are you alright?"

He found himself addressing and empty spot on the linoleum floor.

He looked around. He was standing in a perfectly normal gift shop. The old lady at the register was glaring at him for running into and knocking over one of the displays.

21

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Kimyo: Thank you for reviewing to Sami Ryou's Hikari and MarikRules! Have some Pocky!


	22. One Hundred Percent Fun!

o

o o

Chapter 22: One Hundred Percent Fun!

o o

o

The first thing they needed to do when they got to their suite was bathe. Ryou, Bakura, and Fluffy stank to high heaven.

The facilities consisted of a Japanese style communal bath, so they could all bathe at once. Ryou and Bakura made it their duty to ensure that Malik and Fluffy didn't molest ShuChan.

There were three water basins. While ShuChan wasn't looking, BakuChan engaged in a silent life-or-death struggle with Malik and Fluffy to claim the water basin next to him.

Ryou walked over and sat down next to ShuChan, and the struggle ended. Pouting, Fluffy sat at the basin farthest from ShuChan and Malik started to wash his yami's hair.

Sitting with a small white towel over his lap, ShuChan happily scrubbed his hair, humming to himself. He didn't notice how intently the other four were watching him.

Ryou and Bakura's faces were bright red while Bakura absentmindedly scrubbed the same spot on Ryou's back over and over. Malik's hands slowed down until they stopped lathering up Fluffy's hair, and they were simply staring at ShuChan's lean, muscular body, slick and shimmering with bath suds and water.

ShuChan blinky-blinked and looked at them. Instantly, Malik and Bakura sprang to life, very very busily washing off their other halves.

ShuChan smiled. "It's nice to see brothers get along so well."

"Brothers?"

"Yeah, you guys are two sets of twins, right?"

They looked at each other, then shrugged, none of them up to explaining the whole yami-hikari thing.

Ryou said, "I guess it's rather obvious."

Malik chomped down on his lip.

After they'd all washed off, they settled into a nice, hot tub to relax for a few minutes.

Malik sighed as rivers of his tears fell in and mixed with the bath water.

_Oh, sweet agony! My idol is right there, and he's naked! Would it be so wrong if Fluffy and I were to throw him down and..._

"Stop it." Bakura was glaring at him from across the tub. "I know what you're thinking..."

Several bubbles rose to the surface.

Malik and Fluffy started giggling.

Blushing, Bakura yelled, "I didn't do it!"

They laughed harder, and ShuChan raised his hand. "Sorry about that." He chuckled. "I just figured we'd gotten to be close enough..."

Malik and Fluffy became overjoyed, starry eyed chibi versions of themselves. "Yes, yes, we're close!"

"Let's get closer!" They pounced and smacked face first into the tub where ShuChan had just been resting his head. They looked up and he was running away.

"Well, at least we got to see the sweet apple that is his ass."

"YUKI! Yuki Yuki Yuki!"

ShuChan danced into the room, buck naked and soaking wet, and pounced on Eiri Yuki before he could even get all the way into the door.

"I knew you'd come for me!" he wrapped his arms and legs around Yuki and kissed him passionately. When he drew back, Yuki had one word for him: "Moron."

Hiro and Ayaka entered. Ayaka made a big show of turning away from Shuichi's nakedness.

"Hiro. Miss Usami. Hi." He jumped down.

Hiro smiled. "Your dick's hanging out." They belly laughed together, and KSan joined in. Yuki groaned and put a fresh cig to his lips, but stopped short of lighting it when Malik entered.

His voice barely concealed his anger and distaste. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He took a step towards Malik, but ShuChan stepped in front of him. "This isn't the same guy, Yuki."

"What kind of idiot are you? There's no way in hell some other brat with peroxide hair and a fake tan tried to.."

Fluffy entered the room.

Yuki needed to sit down and light his cigarette. ShuChan sat on his lap, cuddling him and trying to comfort him.

Hiro leaned over them. "Shindo."

"Yes?"

"Don't you think you should get dressed?"

22

one hundred percent fun!

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	23. Blood Red, Crimson and Kisses

Kimyo: Sorry I haven't been updating. I haven't had comp access.

o

o o

Chapter 23: Blood Red, Crimson and Kisses

o o

o

Shuichi frowned. "This doesn't make any sense."

He was standing in the livingroom of the hotel suite, surrounded by the others, who were all watching the news. Experts were arguing over how to explain away why the people in Tokyo killed their families.

Fluffy sat on one of the armchairs, with Malik perched on one of the armrests. Hiro and Ayaka sat together on a couch. Ryou and Bakura sat on the floor. KSan and Yuki were leaning against the wall.

Using an instant camera purchased from the gift shop downstairs, ShuChan had photographed himself, along with Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Fluffy. They hoped that only Malik and Fluffy's faces would be distorted, in which case the curse would be fixable, just like in the movies.

ShuChan stared in disbelief at the photo in his hands. Everyone except Yuki and Ayaka gathered around him.

"What is it?"

o o o

Mokuba tried to lose himself in his computer game, but was unable to stop thinking about Seto. He laid on his belly on the floor with his laptop computer before him, feet absentmindedly swinging back and forth in the air as his gaze wandered once again from his game to the news channel playing on the 90" flatscreen TV over the crackling fireplace.

Seto had been gone for a couple of hours now... If anything bad happened to him, it would be on the news.

o o o

Everyone in the photo looked perfectly normal.

Ryou sighed out the breath he'd been holding.

"Well," said ShuChan, "it's not like in the movie..."

_...skreeee!_

The faces in the photograph turned blood red and melted away, leaving skeletal death masks.

Shuichi recoiled and dropped the photo. "What the hell?"

Malik covered his ears and cowered in his yami's arms.

Hiro sweat dropped and pointed at the TV. "Uh, guys... what's that?"

o o o

Mokuba sat up and frowned at the TV. _What is that?_

The news channel was gone, replaced by a glowing circle against a pitch black background.

_... skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

The image was replaced by a closeup of waves crashing at the shore.

_I don't wanna watch this._ He picked up the remote and changed the channel.

Digital numbers in the upper corner indicated that the channel had been changed, but the image was the same.

"What?"

o o o

They tried changing the channel, but the images remained. The waves glowed red, then there was a closeup of a face struggling under a sheet of plastic, like in _The Ring..._ however, the plastic was transparent, not black.

Hiro ran and yanked the TV's plug out of the wall.

The images remained.

o o o

Mokuba stared at the words on the screen.

_please god please_

The words faded and were replaced:

_YOU ARE UGLEH_

A new image appeared, of two enormous hands pressing down on a tiny face.. one hand over the forehead, the other over the chin. The hands pressed until the face was pulverized in a grisly flash of blood red.

Mokuba cried out and turned away, running from the room..

There was a dog standing in the corridor.

Mokuba froze. The dog was as tall as his waist. It had short hair and a muscular body. It stood perfectly still, seemingly carved out of stone. Its body was gray, but its nose and face were pink and looked raw.

It was a pit bull.

He hesitated for a moment, then broke into a dash and ran down a side corridor. As he'd feared, the dog gave chase.

He couldn't stop, but as he ran past guard posts in the house, he saw that all the guards had vanished. He was alone.

As he ran down one hall, a door opened and Jou leaned out.

"Mokuba, over here!"

Grateful, he ran into the room, and Jou shut the door just in time, and locked it. The dog was barking and snarling, throwing itself against the door.

"You okay?"

Mokuba nodded. "Not that I'm not glad or grateful, but what are you doing here, Joey?"

"I need to talk to Kaiba. Where is he?"

"He went to see Yugi."

"Where?"

"He didn't tell me."

"It's okay, Mokuba, it's me. You can tell me."

"Really, I don't.."

Jouno slapped him hard, knocking him to the floor.

The entire side of his face was hot and throbbing. He sat up and saw Jouno's silhouette approaching. When he stepped into the light, Mokuba saw that Jouno was bedraggled and clammy with rain. Leaves and pine needles clung to his pants cuffs. His hair was darkened and scraggly. He was dressed all in black. His eyes were cold and cruel, harboring a hatred Mokuba couldn't begin to comprehend. Leaning back on his forearms, the little boy shuddered.

"Tell me where Kaiba is."

"I... I..." Trembling, he shook his head, and Jouno kicked him in the face. He was thrown backwards, and curled up on the floor, coughing and choking on the blood gushing from his nose.

In a quick, fluid motion, Jouno slid out of his coat and tossed it aside.

Mokuba looked up and saw a phone on the wall, about ten feet away. Before he could try to get up and scramble over to that phone, Jouno was on top of him, pinning him down. He felt the cold floor through his shirt. His bangs were hanging down, covering his eyes.

"Joey... Please..."

Jouno started laughing. It got louder, and slowly died down. His fingers entangled themselves in his hair. Mokuba bared his teeth and grunted in the back of his throat.

"You sounded so much like me just now. _Please..._ That's what I said, but they didn't listen." He suddenly yanked on Mokuba's hair, making him cry out.

He turned Mokuba over onto his back and pinned his arms down again. It occurred to him that Mokuba might seize the oppurtunity to kick him, so he forced himself between Mokuba's legs.

Jouno looked at Mokuba, who looked back.

A crazed light sparkled in Jouno's eyes. "Well?"

No response. He blinked rapidly and breathed through coagulating blood.

He leaned closer and peered into Mokuba's face. "Are you and Kaiba _really_ brothers? I've always wondered that, because you and he look nothing alike."

"..When he finds out what you're doing.."

"Oh, what? I'm just playin' witcha, Mokie. And soon.." He leaned closer and murmurred into Mokuba's ear, making him squirm-- ".. I'll find your brother and I'll play with him, too. We'll have an awful lot of fun." He drew back just enough to look into the boy's eyes.

"Maybe I was wrong. You do sort of have his eyes. Sharp, clear... Penetrating..."

Jouno's tongue flicked out and licked some of the blood off of Mokuba's lip.

Mokuba cried out. Jouno let him jump up and run.

He didn't remember the pit bull until the door was swinging open. He recoiled, but then realized the dog was no longer there. He bounded into the corridor, Jouno's laughter echoing in his ears.

He found a phone and picked it up..

_..SKREEE!_

He jerked and threw it against the wall.

He ran and reached one of the guard posts that had been empty when he'd first run past it. It was simply a chair with a small table beside it..

Mokuba stopped. The guard was back. He'd been mauled and torn up, and now his corpse sat against the wall, limbs splayed out, sunglasses crooked, blood smeared all over the walls and floor.

His body shook as he wept. _Big Brother! Please, Big Brother, come save me!_

o o o

Yugi paused and looked over to where Kaiba stood. "Are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

They were waiting together in the green room. Kaiba shook his head. "I'm fine." He brought out his cell phone and dialed the lake house.

There was a knock at the door. "It's almost time, MutouSan."

Yugi stood. "Kaiba?"

"Go without me." He was waiting for someone on the other end to pick up.

o o o

Mokuba froze, eyes wide, as he heard Jouno's footsteps echoing down the halls, getting closer.

"Mo... Kie... Where'd ya go? Don't make me chase ya."

He turned and saw Jouno lazily making his way down the corridor, running his fingertips along the wall. He thought of something and ran for it.

He ran up the stairs, frustrated that his legs weren't longer and faster. He went to the roof and tears of relief shimmered in his eyes as he approached the helicopter that was parked on its launch pad.

He sped into a run..

"Aah!"

He was knocked to the ground. The pit bull was on top of him. He instinctively shielded his face with his forearms. The pit bull chomped down, his teeth sinking into Mokuba's flesh, making him scream.

He saw Jouno standing over him, watching with a smirk on his face.

The pit bull was shaking its jaw while keeping it closed tight around Mokuba's forearm, intensifying the pain and damage caused. Mokuba couldn't stop screaming.

After a time, Jouno seemed to have had enough, and so the pitbull vanished. Mokuba clutched his wounded arm, weak from loss of blood and crying from the pain.

"I dunno, Mokie. I see you like this... Bloody and broken, face twisted in pain... and I just gotta laugh."

This time, he didn't need to pin Mokuba's arms down, so he rested his hands beside the boy's waist to prop himself up between Mokuba's legs.

Mokuba trembled, his face slick with perspiration and blood. His voice was weak and resigned: "... why are you doing this...?"

Jouno's glinting eyes narrowed. "You still don't know who I am, do you? Well, let me give you a hint. You called me _that stupid, creepy girl_."

Mokuba's eyes widened. "I'm sorry.."

Jouno suddenly raised his fists and pounded the gravel on either side of Mokuba's head, scaring him into silence.

"Don't insult me with an apology, _Mokie._ A few simple words can't fix what you did to me."

He sighed and leaned so close that their noses were almost touching, and gazed into those eyes that reminded him so much of Seto Kaiba.

"... Kaiba..."

He tilted his head and kissed Mokuba hungrily, forcing his tongue into the boy's mouth.

Mokuba was too weak and injured to fight back.

o o o

An oddly familiar, yet somehow alien voice answered the phone. "Kaiba..."

Something about how the person on the other end breathed it sent a chill down Kaiba's spine. "Who is this?"

A soft chuckle. "You always had such a sexy voice. I used to just close my eyes and listen to that voice..."

"Tell me where Mokuba is."

"... You know, I can't wait to see you again. It's been too long."

"Where is Mokuba?"

Laughter. "Don't worry, Honey, I was thinking about you the whole time."

"What the hell..? What is this? Tell me who you are right now!"

Soft chuckling escalated into mad laughter.

o o o

_... skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

Ryou, ShuChan, and the others, watched, mesmerized, as the feature came to its final scene. Instead of a well, it was some sort of basement with a mud floor.

ShuChan's breath caught in his throat. _This looks familiar!_

A hand came out of the dirt and a tiny girl clawed her way to the surface and stood, head down, waist length hair hanging in her face. Walking in a familiar, jaunty fashion, she approached the screen.

Sweat popping out on his face, Hiro said, "So that's what the American Sadako looks like."

"No," said Ryou, "That's not her! Samara didn't have blonde hair!"

ShuChan said, "That's the girl I saw in the gift shop!"

"What the hell is going on?"

KSan took aim with his rifle..

The image vanished in a sea of static before the girl reached the screen. Everyone could be heard trying to catch their breath.

The screen went crimson, with a message for them:

_SATURDAY IS THE DAY OF RECKONING_

_HAPPY X MAS_

((((((O.O))))))

Ryou jumped and yelped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked at Fluffy, who was still being clutched by Malik, and he was pointing in Bakura's direction.

"BakuChan?"

Bakura stood with his head tilted upwards, eyes closed, lips moving. He seemed to be in a trance. He was wobbling, his brow furrowed, and then, with a frightened cry, he jerked awake and looked around quickly. His eyes scanned the group, then settled on Ryou. His pale arm swung around and slapped his startled light's face with a loud _whap_ that rocked his whole upper torso sharply to the side.

"I told you to wake me up!"

o o o

Fluffy shoved Bakura into the kitchen hard enough to send him crashing into the island counter, knocking over some jars. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind himself, all the while keeping his gaze directed at Bakura. "What the hell is your problem?"

Bakura leaned against the counter, glaring, eyelid twitching. "Fuck you, that's my problem." He stood and moved to circle Fluffy and leave the room, but Fluffy's arms shot out and encircled Bakura, trapping him against the counter. Fluffy got right in Bakura's warming face.

"We don't hurt our hikaris anymore."

Bakura leaned back as far as he could, trying to keep some distance. "He's my precious light. I'll do whatever the fuck I want to him."

Fluffy's eyebrows lifted. "What did you just say?"

o o o

Ryou sat on the couch, with Malik beside him. The TV was back to showing the news channel.

"Are you alright? I'd offer you some ice, but that's where Fluffy took Bakura, so..."

"I'm alright." He smiled a sad, empty smile.

Softly caressing the side of his aijin's face, Malik kissed Ryou's lips, a brief, featherlight brush of skin against skin.

ShuChan was smiling at them. "I didn't know you two were a couple."

"Oh! Uh..." Ryou became flustered. "Please don't tell Bakura... I mean, my brother. I think he'd be upset if he found out I was dating a man."

ShuChan winked. "Gotcha. But you know, you'll have to tell him sooner or later."

"I know..." Ryou lowered his head.

o o o

"You love him, don't you?"

Bakura turned away. "I don't have so much as a drop of fondness for anyone. Get out of my face already."

Bakura's skin twitched when Fluffy breathed into his ear: "My precious light... Pretty strong phrase..." He pushed Fluffy away and started to leave.

"You're a virgin, aren't you?"

He stopped cold, and slowly turned, his eyes like saucers, his face bright red.

"I'll take that as a _yes_." A self satisfied Cheschire cat smile was on his face.

"Don't look at me that way. You think there's something wrong with me because I've had better things to do than run around fucking anything warm?"

Fluffy shook with a silent chuckle. "You need to smile... and get laid. It would be a good release..."

He wasn't surprised at all when Bakura swung at him. He seized his arm before his fist could connect. Distracted by the other's strength, Bakura was caught completely off guard when Fluffy pulled him forward to crush their lips together.

Held tight, BakuChan couldn't pull away. He gasped at the feel of a tongue forcing its way into his mouth, prying his teeth apart to explore him. He felt a hand against the small of his back, pushing their bodies together. It was hard to breathe. He tried desperately to pull away, but the Egyptian had an iron grip on him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and in the darkness under his eyelids, all he could see was Ryou's face. He calmed down, drew long, slow breaths through his nose, and returned the kiss. Fluffy let go of his arm, and Bakura took hold of Fluffy's shoulder.

ShuChan burst into the room. "Guys!"

Bakura shoved Fluffy and jumped away from him, then glared at ShuChan. "What the fuck do you want?"

ShuChan blinky-blinked. "Uh... There's something on TV..."

Bakura stalked to the door, and ShuChan stepped aside. He stopped and glared at ShuChan out the corner of his eye. "You tell anyone about this, and I'll fucking kill you."

ShuChan nodded.

"The same goes to you," he called back in Fluffy's direction before leaving the room.

He burst into the livingroom, looking horribly irritated. "What? What was on TV?"

Hiro was holding the remote. "Don't worry. We rewound and paused, so you could see it, too."

He glanced in Ryou's direction. Ryou opened his mouth to say something, but Bakura quickly looked away.

Little Yugi was on TV.

Bakura snorted. _I thought this was important._

"This is to the person who stole my Millennium Puzzle. I've had enough of you attacking my friends, then running and hiding in the shadows. Those are the actions of a coward. I'm challenging you to come out and face me... in a duel!"

"Wow," said ShuChan. "I wonder if it'll be guns or swords..."

"He means Duel Monsters."

Hiro paused the TV. "He's challenging a psychotic killer... to _a card game?"_

ShuChan sweatdropped. "Shouldn't he call the cops or the yakuza or something?"

Fluffy and Bakura gave him blank stares, as if he was speaking gibberish. Hiro unpaused the show.

"If I win, you must return the Millennium Puzzle to me! And if you win, I'll give you these..." He laid out the three Egyptian Gods on the table.

Fluffy and Bakura goggled, their jaws dropping open and crashing on the floor.

o o o

Jouno snickered. _Oh, Yugi... What the hell do I care about three pieces of card stock?_

_However, since they mean so much to you, it'll be my pleasure to take them away._

He heard the front door open, and smiled.

"Mokuba!"

Kaiba tried the light switch, and it didn't work. He looked around the livingroom, and saw nothing through the gloom until a tiny spark all the way at the other end of the room caught his eye. He walked up to it.

It was a candle, sitting on the floor.

He looked up, and there were more, leading the way down the corridor. Kaiba bolted and burst into the room at the end of the path.

There were several dozen candles about, illuminating the room. In the middle of it all, backlit by a fireplace, was a wingback chair, with Jouno sitting in it. He smiled and stood up.

He was wearing boots, leather pants, long silk gloves, and a midi, all black. His stance was shy, almost demure.. his legs were close together, and one arm hung down, the other arm bent with its hand rested on his elbow. His hair was still damp from the shower.

"Kaiba..."

Kaiba blinked, and arched an eyebrow. "Wheeler? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, Kaiba."

Kaiba took a step backwards. "Have you lost your mind? I need to find Mokuba."

Jouno's eyelid twitched.

"Get out of my sight, Mutt." He turned and threw the doors open, then walked off down the hall to search the rest of the house.

_"I'm in love with you, Kaiba!"_

He stopped, and turned to face the blonde, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"That's right." He burst into a full run and charged Kaiba, knocking him to the floor. Straddling him, Jouno began to kiss him about the face and neck.

Kaiba had bumped his head on the floor, and was dazed. He could not believe the words that came out of Jouno's mouth between kisses.

_"... Make love to me... Kaiba... I want you... inside me... I want to feel you... coming inside me..."_

He rocked his hips against Kaiba's, making him gasp. He snapped out of it and shoved Jouno away, getting to his feet. "I don't know what the hell's wrong with you, but you'd better tell me where Mokuba is, or get out of my house."

Rage blazed behind Jouno's deadly calm eyes. "What, you'd rather fuck him? You want him so badly?" He jumped to his feet and almost ran back into the room. "Fine, I'll show you Mokuba."

Kaiba followed, and when he entered the room, Jouno was holding up a gift bag.

"I was going to surprise you."

He tipped it, and Kaiba's gift fell out, bouncing across the floor, leaving a trail of crimson droplets.

Kaiba clamped one hand over his mouth and fell to his knees, trembling violently, drenched in sweat.

Jouno smiled, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"In case you're wondering, his _body's_ still on the roof."

23

blood red, crimson and kisses

finish

Kimyo: Thanks for reviewing to Sami Ryou's Hikari, InsaneShadowFan, marikslildevil, bakuraxryou, MarikRules, and the nameless!


	24. A Card Game

Kimyo: Thanks to Sami Ryou's Hikari, InsaneShadowFan, marikslildevil, and the nameless for reviewing! Can you fucking believe it, the nameless said, "update or die". I'm not sure whether to be flattered or scared, so I'll be both, which is my usual mental state anyway. But keep in mind that if you kill me, you won't get to see what happens next, not to mention the sequel! There is definitely going to be a sequel! Are you excited? Scared? Anticipationy? A little nauseous? Well, you should be!

o

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Chapter 24: A Card Game

o o

o

Malik was laying perfectly still, with his eyes closed, but he was not asleep. He was just afraid to open his eyes.

It was four am Thursday morning. He was on one of the couches in the livingroom, with a comforter up to his chin. He didn't know where anyone else was. He kept wishing he could hear someone's voice, so he'd know he wasn't alone. He was afraid that if he opened his eyes, the girl would be on the ceiling again, smiling dementedly at him.

_I don't want to see things anymore._

He remembered how not too long ago, his body had been taken over by that evil girl.

_It seems so far away now... Who is she? Is it possible that Sadako is real? No, that's ridiculous. It's just a movie. But there is a girl, and she's going to kill us all Saturday, if we don't figure this out._

Tears seeped out and tumbled down the sides of Malik's face. _Please, Ra, I don't want to die. Life was finally getting so good._

He opened his eyes. The girl was not there. He looked at the opposite couch, where Ryou was supposed to be sleeping.

He was gone.

Malik took in a breath and whispered, "Fluffy--" He looked down at the space on the floor between the couches, where the yamis were supposed to be. Bakura was there, sound asleep. But Fluffy was gone.

Malik pulled down the covers and swung out his legs. Just when his feet touched the floor, the door on the opposite wall opened.

Jouno stood in the doorway, glaring impassively at Malik. He was dressed all in black, with a flowing leather coat. Malik was dumbstruck. All he could do was stare as Jouno swung up the Sennen Rod and brandished it at him, as if to send him to the Shadow Realm.

o o o

Malik opened his eyes, and saw the ceiling, covered in soft gray morning light. He yawned and stretched his arms.

_What's today? Thursday, right? Then Friday..._ His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. _Day after tomorrow! Already? Where the fuck did the week go?_ He sat up. The other three were still asleep.

Fluffy was curled up at his feet. Malik watched him for a moment.

He sucked in a breath when Fluffy grabbed his foot and pulled it to his face, nibbling on Malik's toes. Malik clamped both hands over his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Fluffy purred, _"... mm, hikaris on toast... oishishii, da nyaaa.." _(hikaris on toast are yummy, meow...) He let go of Malik's foot and flopped onto his back. "With _jam!"_ His arm swung around and smacked Bakura in the face. Bakura woke up and glared at Fluffy, then glared at Malik for laughing at him. Without a word, he crawled out of bed and stomped off to the bathroom.

Malik looked over at Ryou, who was sound asleep on the couch. He looked like an angel.

For no reason, Malik's eyes were drawn to the opposite wall, behind Ryou's couch. There was a painting on it, of a country cottage in a meadow. Malik frowned.

_I thought there was a door there._

The memory came back to him-- A door where that painting was... A dark figure emerging and brandishing the Sennen Rod at him... But he couldn't remember who it was. All he could see was the glimmering eye of the Sennen Rod, being held by a darkened figure-- a shadow outlined in gold.

o o o

He brought it up during breakfast. Everyone was there except Yuki, who was still asleep, and Bakura, who had finished eating in under ten seconds, and was now pacing loudly in the livingroom. Ayaka passed out the food she'd made, then stood around, watching everyone eat. Malik found it unnerving. _Why the hell is she even here..._

ShuChan brought him out of his thoughts. "And you couldn't tell who it was?"

"No. His face was a shadow. He was holding the Sennen Rod, which was stolen by the one who killed Yami."

Suddenly, Yuki was standing in the doorway. "Wouldn't that be you?"

ShuChan turned chibi, smiling a big, syrup drippin' smile. "I thought you were asleep!" _Oh, he's so adorable with that sexy, ruffled, just tumbled out of bed look!_

"How can anyone sleep with that albino stomping back and forth in the livingroom?" He walked over to ShuChan, who relinquished his seat. Once Yuki sat down, ShuChan happily draped himself over his lover. Yuki had his usual cold expression, but he didn't push ShuChan away.

Ryou said, "Maybe the vision you had means that our enemy has jumped into a new host body."

"And that person has the Sennen Rod."

Hiro raised his fork. Everyone waited while he chewed and swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Why don't we go to KaibaLand and see if they show up to duel Yugi Mutou?"

Yuki frowned. "You think an evil spirit is going to waste its time playing a card game?"

o o o

Jouno twirled and struck a pose. He was wearing his black ensemble, plus one of Kaiba's trench coats. A duel disk was on his arm. "How do I look?"

Still bound and gagged as he was, Kaiba's only response was a sub zero glare.

"Now, don't give me that look. I'll be back before you know it."

He draped a comforter over Kaiba's shivering, nude form, then kissed him on the tip of his nose.

"You're okay, right? Don't have to pee again or anything, do you?"

He headed for the door, his heels tapping on the marble. "Well, I'm off to kill Yugi..." He stopped. "Duel Yugi. _Hn._ I guess I could kill him once I've defeated his sorry ass."

He turned and smiled at Kaiba. "After I win, I'm going to take those God Cards and rip them to shreds right before his eyes. Then I might as well kill him. Not to mention that little cunt Anzu." He laughed. "Oh! I'll be busy Saturday, so I'll have to leave you alone again. But after that, we can begin our lives together. I can't wait."

Kaiba grunted and struggled against his restraints.

"Don't worry, Sweetie." He held up the duel disk. "I didn't take any of your favorite cards. I just went through your inventory and put together a new strategy."

He turned and left, mumbling to himself.

24

a card game

finish


	25. Malik, OBSESSED

Kimyo: This chapter is dedicated to OBSESSED Uber Rei, who inspired me to write it!

o

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Chapter 25: Malik, OBSESSED

o o

o

Bakura was pacing back and forth in the livingroom, grumbling to himself.

Malik entered, holding a glass of lemonade. Bakura was so lost in thought, he didn't notice Malik's arrival.

Malik trotted up and stood in Bakura's path, forcing him to stop and look at him. Malik smiled suspiciously as he shoved the glass up under Bakura's nose. "Want some?"

"No. Are those fools done eating yet? Time is running out."

"We've decided to go to KaibaLand and see if our enemy shows up to duel Little Yugi." Keeping his eyes locked with Bakura's, he took a sip, then licked his lips. "I told the others you and I would go."

Bakura's face warmed, and he felt a sudden need to take a backwards step from Malik. _Why is he looking at me like that?_

Malik set the glass down on the coffee table, and went to get his cloak. Bakura followed.

"We'll take my motorcycle--" He stopped, head lowered. After a second, he looked at Bakura again. "We'll take a cab."

After they were gone, Hiro, ShuChan, and Ryou came out of the kitchen.

Ryou looked around, then said, more to himself than to anyone else, "Where are Malik and Bakura?"

o o o

The cab driver nervously glanced into his rearview mirror, at his fares, who sat in the backseat wearing long deep purple cloaks with small ornamental golden chains on the hoods. All he could see of their faces was their mouths and chins. The first one had dark skin and a sinister smile.

"Got a problem?"

He jumped and forced his eyes back to his driving. "Uh, no, Sir!"

The other, paler one growled, "Pay more attention to your job."

The driver was sweating bullets. "Right, right. Oh, there's KaibaLand!" He sped up.

o o o

Standing at the edges of the crowd was a certain reporter, doing breathing exercises while her cameraman counted down.

_"heee, hooo, heee, hooo..."_ She smiled, and spoke into the mic: "This is Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi, outside KaibaLand, where 2500 rabid Duel Monsters fans have gathered to watch world champion Yugi Mutou duel an unknown opponent! On the line are the championship title and the three rarest Duel Monsters cards in existence-- Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor, and The Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Bakura was chagrined, but not surprised at the circus out in front of KaibaLand. "It's 9 am Thursday morning. Don't these assholes have jobs, or school?"

Malik caught sight of the news reporter, and took hold of Bakura's hand. He jerked and shook it away, then glared murderously at Malik.

"Don't be such a prick. We have to get away from that reporter. She'll recognize me."

No one noticed the two slinking around to the back of the building.

o o o

The splashing of water echoed off the walls as Anzu washed her face. Arms braced on the sides of the basin, she sighed and lifted her head to stare at her reflection in the mirror.

_First Jou disappears, now we can't reach Kaiba. This is like one of those B-horror flicks from the seventies!_

She began patting her face dry with rough paper towels. _But I can't let Yugi see how scared I am! He needs someone to help him stay strong, and I'm all he's got left!_

o o o

The inside of KaibaLand was dead quiet. Malik and Bakura marched down a narrow, poorly lit concrete hallway, their hoods down, their cloaks flowing majestically.

Malik stole a glance at Bakura. He had to speed up to stay beside him.

"We must hurry and find the arena Yugi's in before they open the doors and let all those fools in."

I just hope we can convince him not to go through with it."

The corner of Bakura's mouth perked. "Have you lost faith in him already? Me, I can't wait to see how he fares against that rotten bitch."

Malik looked down at the floor. "Do you really think she'll show up? The thought of facing her... it ties my stomach in a knot."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You've turned into such a fragile creature since dueling Yami. I find it sickening."

"Did you like me better before that?"

"I never liked you. I don't like anyone." He felt a twinge of deja vu, remembering his conversation in the kitchen with Fluffy.

The hallway ended at a door. They opened it and found themselves in a larger hallway.

Malik hissed and covered his ears. "That sound..."

Bakura looked around. "Calm down. There's a TV on nearby. Besides, it's not Saturday yet." Malik followed him down the hallway towards the sound. Bakura didn't take notice of Malik's slender fingers gripping a handful of the thief's cloak.

"Does that mean we're guaranteed not to die today?"

"Sure." _If that'll shut you up. I should've brought Fluffy._

They found the source of the sound, a security room. A guard sat before a bank of tiny black and white TVs, eating a donut. He chewed happily, humming a jaunty tune through his mouthful of food.

Standing right behind him, Bakura arched an eyebrow. Malik stepped back and leaned out the door, looking up and down the hall until he spotted the camera, a shiny black bubble on the ceiling.

The security guard stopped humming and leaned towards one of the moniters. He saw someone standing in his doorway.

"Hnh?"

Malik waved at the camera.

The guard gulped down his food and spun his chair around just in time to take the heel of Bakura's palm in his jaw. He fell back, taking his chair to the floor with him.

Laughing, Malik joined Bakura in looking over all the moniters.

"Why are there so many moniters? This is an arcade, not a casino!"

He caught Malik staring at him with a thoughtful, disheartened look in his eyes, their color deepened by the soft light.

He sweatdropped. "Stop staring at me."

He exhaled softly through his nose. "... He said you were good."

"What?"

"Fluffy. He said you were a good kisser."

Bakura gasped as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped open.

_Note to self: KILL FLUFFY!_

Malik's eyes narrowed. "Why, Bakura? Why him, and not me?"

"What?"

Malik stepped towards Bakura, making him retreat. "Before you became friends with Ryou or Fluffy, you were my partner, in Battle City. The first time I had feelings for anyone, they were for you."

Sweat shone on Bakura's face. He grunted as his back thumped against the wall. "What the fucking hell? Where is this coming from?"

Malik rested his palms on the wall, just above Bakura's shoulders. His brow was furrowed. "I kept it to myself because I thought you were straight. I was even afraid you'd hate me."

Bakura's eyes wavered. The look in Malik's eyes... it was somewhere between Ryou's kindness, and Fluffy's lust. Bakura didn't realize that his breathing had become shallow, and he was trembling.

Malik leaned towards him. When he realized Malik intended to kiss him, Bakura made a surprised sound in his throat and turned away. Malik stopped. "Why not?"

Bakura flattened himself, trying to disappear into the wall, wishing he could find the courage to push Malik away. He squeezed his eyes shut. _What's wrong? Why am I so scared right now?_

Malik's voice took on an angry edge. "Why not? What the hell's wrong with me?"

"Just get away from me."

"No."

Bakura looked at Malik with wide eyes.

Lavender eyes stared him down. "Push me away, if that's what you want." He moved closer again. Bakura was completely frozen as Malik closed the distance between them, pressing every inch of their bodies against each other. Their faces brushed against each other, and Malik's lips touched Bakura's earlobe. His voice was soft, but clear.

"You don't even realize it, do you? How beautiful you are..."

He softly, soundlessly kissed Bakura's earlobe. Bakura sighed and closed his eyes. There was something intoxicating about the warmth of a human body so close to his. He felt so hot... on fire...

He forgot about the curse, the duel, Yugi waiting in the arena, everyone else waiting at the hotel. He lost awareness of the room, the building, the city, the planet. However, he was keenly aware of his hands on the small of Malik's back, holding the Egyptian close. Malik laced Bakura's jawline with butterfly kisses until their lips were just barely touching. Their eyes opened long enough to exchange a look before they shared their first kiss.

Malik's fingers raked themselves through Bakura's hair. Bakura's hands ran over grooves, the carvings in his back. Malik grunted into the kiss, but didn't seem to mind, so Bakura slid his hand up under the purple midi.

He felt Malik's tongue pressing along the seam of his lips. He opened his eyes a little, feeling afraid.

Malik pulled back, a little out of breath. "Don't be scared." He looked down at Bakura's lips. "You _are_ a good kisser. Your lips... They're soft..." He quickly closed his lips over Bakura's, delving into his mouth, sighs and soft moans intermingling.

They broke for air and gazed at each other. Bakura licked his lips, still shaking as Malik's hands lightly caressed the pale skin under his shirt, down his chest, fingers undoing silver buttons and slipping under the waistband of his pants.

Malik couldn't take his eyes away from Bakura's.

"So beautiful..."

Bakura gasped as Malik took hold of him, and clutched Malik's arm without a second thought.

Malik smiled and moved closer to murmurr against Bakura's lips. His hand stroked Bakura gently as Bakura's gasps caressed Malik's lips.

Eyes squeezed shut, all he felt or heard was Malik:

"You and I belong together. We're linked. We're both outsiders... We're both in love with Ryou..."

Bakura's eyelids snapped open.

With a grunt, Malik crashed into the floor, tasting blood. It took him a few seconds to realize that Bakura had punched him, and now stood over him, glaring at him as he'd always feared.

"Why--?"

"Shut the fuck up." He went to the door and stopped long enough to say, "After this is over, I want you and that perverted yami of yours to stay away from RaChan. The last thing my hikari needs is sickos like you corrupting him." At that, he stalked down the hall to find Yugi.

Malik licked the blood from his lips, staring at the doorway.

_Sickos like us... You're an idiot._

25

malik, obsessed

finish


	26. Dangerous Blonde

o

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Chapter 26: Dangerous Blonde

o o

o

Roland stood outside the arena in which Yugi was preparing himself for the duel, talking into his cell phone. "Is there any sign of them, Mal?"

On the other end was another one of Kaiba's guards. Fearing the worst, Roland had sent a dozen men to the lake house.

"No. We're right outside the gate. There's no visual on Mr. Kaiba, Mokuba, or any of the guards who are supposed to be patrolling the grounds."

"I'm contacting the authorities. Stay there and wait--"

"Hold on, I see someone. A kid, doesn't look familiar. I'm going in."

"No. Stay where--"

_SKREEEEE_

Roland hissed, pushing the phone to arm's length.

o o o

The men entered at different points around the property. Mal approached the main entrance.

Standing at the top of the stairs leading to the main doors was a tiny girl. She had waist length blonde hair and she wore a white summer dress, and was cradling something dark. She stood proud, the queen of the castle.

Before Mal could speak, she said, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Her voice was startling in its maturity and coldness.

Mal sweatdropped. "I work for Master Seto Kaiba. I'm not sure you belong here, Ma'am."

If circumstances were different, this would be the point where he approached and loomed authoritively over the little intruder, then escorted her off the premises. However, his feet were glued to the spot. He wished he could move, so he could get the hell away from that creepy girl.

She approached, and took a couple of steps down. "I am Seto Kaiba's wife, and I know for a fact that you don't belong here."

_... SKREEEEEEEEEEE..._

Mal winced and covered his ears. The sound was like a skewer through his brain.

He was startled out of this by another sound: deep growling. His breath hitched in his throat as he realized he was surrounded by six gray pitbulls. Fresh blood dripped from their bared teeth.

_"Oh.. ggh..."_ He covered his mouth. The dogs had no eyes, just eyelids, slightly parted, with black emptiness inside. Their snouts were raw and malformed.

"As you can see," said the little girl, "We've got flawless security, so you are no longer needed."

Horrified, Mal realized the thing in the girl's arm was Mokuba's severed head. That was the last thing he saw before the pitbulls charged and destroyed the last member of the cavalry.

o o o

The Duel Monsters fans were finding their ways to the seats. It was almost time.

Yugi stood at his podium, shuffling his deck. Anzu was at his side, ready to cheer him on to victory.

"Look at all the fans who came out to support you, Yugi! They all believe in you, just like I do! I know you can win!" She hugged him.

Just then, Jouno made his grand appearance, accompanied by a gray pitbull.

Anzu was overjoyed that he was alright. "Joey! We were so worried!" She ran to him.

Yugi looked at Jouno. _Why is he wearing such a strange black outfit? And that's one of Kaiba's trench coats!_ He looked at Jouno's face and saw cruelty glinting in his chocolate colored eyes.

"Anzu, stop!"

Jouno swung out and struck Anzu across the eyes. She fell unconscious to the floor, and the crowd went mad with outcries.

"Anzu!" Yugi ran and knelt beside her. Blood trickled down the side of her face. "Anzu! Anzu, please...!"

Medics rushed to her side. Yugi had to back off and let them work.

Jouno laughed. "Why bother? I'll kill her soon enough."

Tears in his eyes, Yugi rushed and planted both palms right under Jouno's ribcage. He shoved Jouno hard and knocked him backwards, to land on his ass. Another wave of catcalls sounded out, too many to pick one from the din.

Jouno looked stunned for a second. Little Yugi had knocked him down! He regained his composure and got to his feet. "Now, now, there's no need for violence. Yet." He brought out the Sennen Rod, and brandished it at Yugi.

"You're the same evil spirit that took over Malik's body. Tell me who you are, and tell me where my best friend is!"

"You know what you have to do, right?" He strode over to his side of the field, followed closely by his pitbull.

Yugi took his place at his podium. "You killed Yami!" He jacked his duel disk into the arena's system. "You also killed Honda, Duke, and Mai, and you stole the Millennium Puzzle!"

"Oh, you mean this?" He held up the puzzle, keeping his hand over the gaping hole where it was missing a piece.

"That, and the Millennium Rod, are rightfully mine!" _If I can get the Puzzle back... hold it in my hands... I know Yami's spirit must be in there!_

"Well, there's only one way to claim them." Jouno put the Millennium Puzzle and Sennen Rod away, and jacked in. "Ready to lose, Runt?"

26

dangerous blonde

finish

Kimyo: YAY! Only one more chapter to repost!


	27. The Duel Begins! Jouno vs Yugi

Kimyo: YES! This is the last chapter I need to retype! The next one will be all-new!

o

o o

Chapter 27: The Duel Begins! Jouno vs. Yugi

o o

o

They had no idea where Malik and Bakura were.

"Well, now what are we supposed to do?" wondered Hiro. "It couldn't have been the curse. It's only Thursday."

Yuki was leaning against the wall, smoking, and ShuChan was at his side, crying rivers. Yuki grew sick of this. "Why are you crying..."

"Oh, Yuki! I'm so scared!"

No enthusiasm: "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine..."

"You're so sweet, but I'm not worried about me! It'll just be so horrible if Sadako gets you and destroys your beautiful face!"

KSan walked up and shoved a handgun into ShuChan's arms. "Be a man. We're going after Sadako."

o o o

To avoid the crowds, Bakura snuck under the bleachers to watch the duel through slots beneath the benches.

_If Yugi loses, I'll step in._

They began the duel with 8,000 life points each and Yugi went first. He drew, and eyed the blonde over his cards. Jouno was smiling, and chuckling to himself. Then he gasped. "Wait one minute!"

Yugi frowned. "What is it?"

"What is it," growled Anzu, "You gonna forfeit already?" She'd all but forgotten her earlier injury, and ignored the bandage on her head.

"Do you have the god cards in your deck?"

Yugi brought them out of the case he kept slung around his hips, and held them up for all to see. A wave of _ooohs_ rose from the crowd.

Jouno stabbed the counter with his finger. "Add them to your deck right now."

Yugi blinked. "What?"

The audience started cheering, and Keiko was on the sidelines.

"Well, viewers, it looks like this will not be an easy win for Yugi's challenger, who, I'm told, has been identified as Battle City runner-up Jouno Wheeler! Mr. Wheeler has just ordered Yugi Mutou to add all three Egyptian God cards to his dueling deck! Is he a master duelist, or a fool? We'll find out as the duel unfolds!"

He added the three cards and shuffled anew, keeping eye contact with Jouno. "Are you that arrogant?"

"Ha! You're nothing to me, _Little_ Yugi. I doubt you even know how to make the best use of those cards. Everyone knows you're the twerp, the worthless one, serving only as a conduit for the Pharaoh's soul. I want a challenge-- well, as much of a challenge as _you_ can offer, so you'd better duel as if your life depended on it, because it does!"

o o o

It took quite a while for Mrs. Yoshikawa to answer the door. She was very happy to see that Fluffy was alright.

"Oh! Fluffy! Come in, come in!" She led Fluffy and KSan into the parlor. "I was so worried that you might've gotten hurt in that explosion, then you weren't calling... Oh, I'm so glad you're alright. Here, have some nice candy."

They each took a piece of chocolate to be polite, and ate with limited enthusiasm. Mrs. Yoshikawa beamed across the kotatsu at them. "And everyone else is alright, yes?"

"Yeah, we're staying at a hotel for the time being. So, has anyone ever been brutally murdered and buried here?" Fluffy smiled politely, showing all his craggy teeth.

o o o

Ryou's house was empty.

Ryou took off his coat and hung it up out of force of habit. "He must've gone on another archaelogical dig." Hiro and ShuChan looked around. The house looked pretty normal. Sunlight filtered in, brightening the place.

"Well, there's an attic and a basement. Where should we look first?"

"In the movie, the well is under them, so, I guess, the basement."

o o o

Yugi pointed dramatically at Jouno: "Once I've won this duel, you will return the millennium items to me, and leave Joey's body!" He looked at his first card. "I summon 'Gazelle, King of Mythical Beasts' in defense mode!"

Jouno rolled his eyes and drew. "Yeah, I _really_ didn't see that coming. Gazelle, Dark Magicians, Magnet Warriors... I know your pathetic strategies by heart."

He looked at his card, then sneered at Yugi. "I play 'Graceful Charity'." He drew three cards, then discarded two. "I summon 'Cure Mermaid' in attack mode! Destroy that lame gazelle!"

The cute pink mermaid lunged, and the gazelle vanished in a cloud of digital confetti. She then returned to her side of the field and joined her master. "See, Yugi? You made a big mistake challenging me. You're nothing. The only real duelist was Yami, and I already killed him!"

o o o

He felt like banging his head against the wall.

Instead, Malik huddled in the corner of the surveillance room, knees drawn up, elbows resting upon them, head reclined to touch the wall. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes forlorn, his mind full of useless thoughts.

_I'm such an idiot. I thought I was over you. But then Fluffy told me he'd kissed you, and all my old infatuations came tumbling out from some dark closet in the back of my mind. Your silver hair, your cold, catlike eyes, your pale skin... Did you always look like that? No, I bet your skin was dark in Ancient Egypt, like mine._

He turned to his side and lowered his head, hugging himself. _I have to stop this. I can't force him to love me._

_No. He responded to me. He kissed me back. He held me._

A girl's voice: "He does love me."

Malik sat up and looked at the door. The only light in the room came from the bank of moniters. The hallway was filled with piss-yellow flourescent light that hummed like a housefly.

Looking at the doorway, Malik suddenly remembered _The Ring._ He became preoccupied with the image of a housefly walking along the surface, making the symbol for infinity.

_Is it just some random thought, or was it put there by her?_

He felt like he should go into the hallway. Mindset smoother and quieter now, he slowly got to his feet and shuffled to the doorway. He stopped just before his feet reached the threshold, and leaned forward, craning his head out into the hallway.

He looked to the left, and nothing was there. Then he looked to his right--

Something large came swinging out of the ceiling, gray, the size and shape of a van. It struck Malik and he fell backwards into the security room, a blood spurting stump where his head once had been.

o o o

Bakura's throat suddenly tightened, and he wondered if something had happened to Ryou.

He was sitting on a cheap wooden bench underneath the bleachers, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Now he sat straighter, and turned to look over his shoulder...

He saw a black and white image of himself turning to look over his shoulder, much like Anna Morgan did in the movie. He had the same cold, distant look in his eyes. He heard static.

He gasped, and was suddenly standing a few feet behind the bench.

He looked at the empty bench, heard the cheers of the crowd. He walked towards the bench and slowly, cautiously reached out.

Instantly, someone materialized sitting below his reach. Someone who looked like him. A cold, clammy hand slapped down over his and a voice spoke, a weak, demonic voice that seemed to have no point of origin:

_"You or your hikari must die."_

o o o

He fell to the floor, screaming and thrashing about. _"No! No! No!"_

Slowly, Malik caught his breath and realized it had been a trick, some sort of illusion. Looking up, he saw the blonde girl standing in the doorway, wearing a frilly Victorian dress and hugging a teddy bear.

She laughed gaily. "You're funny."

He wanted to run and grab her, shake the hell out of her for scaring him so badly. He leaned forward on his hands and knees, not wanting to scare her off or provoke her. "Tell me who you are."

"I... am Seto Kaiba's wife." She giggled.

o o o

Yugi's hand trembled as he drew--

"Hold it. My turn's not done yet. I place four cards facedown."

Yugi's eyes widened. _Four?_ He stared down at the new holograms that appeared on the field.

Jouno appraised his hand, then smiled and nodded, indicating that Yugi could go now.

"Hm. I draw..." He looked over his cards. _Four facedown cards. I'm sure one of them must be something horribly powerful, like 'Mirror Force' or 'Bell of Destruction'! But I have to try!_

"I activate 'Brain Control' to take control of your 'Cure Mermaid'!"

Jouno growled as 'Brain Control's hands reached across the field and pulled her away.

"And now I'll sacrifice her to bring forth 'Summoned Skull'!" The monstrous creature burst forth with an ungodly screech.

Jouno's eyes narrowed. "You little shit! You sacrificed my adorable 'Cure Mermaid' to summon that butt-ugly thing? You're gonna pay for that!"

"I don't think so, you fiend! Go, 'Summoned Skull'! Attack his life points directly!"

Anzu jumped two feet into the air. "Yeah, Yugi! Do it!"

Jouno smirked. "Activate trap! 'Gravity Bind'!" The Summoned Skull stopped short and returned to Yugi's side without attacking. "As long as 'Gravity Bind' is on the field, only monsters level 3 or lower are allowed to attack. Nice try, Yug'."

Anzu bared her teeth and snarled, "You creep! You think some puny trap card's gonna stop Yugi?"

"Shut up, Bitch. The only reason I've let you live this long is, I can't decide what to do to you." His pitbull barked at Anzu, strings of saliva flying from its mouth. She 'eeped' and sank towards the sidelines behind Yugi.

"And now I'll activate another trap. 'Solemn Wishes'. Now I'll gain 500 life points every time I draw."

Yugi went lax and shook his head. "I end my turn."

Jouno drew, and his life points went up to 8,500. "I summon 'Fire Princess' in defense mode!" A girl in a lacy orange gown appeared, archery bow in hand. "Now, I'll play 'Pot of Greed'."

Jouno drew, and his life points rose again, to 9,000. Then Yugi's life points sank to 7,500.

Anzu's mouth fell open. "What just happened?"

Yugi didn't look surprised. "It's 'Fire Princess's special ability. Every time Jouno gains life points, I'll lose 500 life points."

Jouno was very pleased. "That's right, and she's got a defense of 1500, so you can't destroy her. Now, I'll use 'Monster Reborn'! Return to me, 'Cure Mermaid'!"

The pink mermaid reappeared, next to 'Fire Princess'. "They both are level 4, so they can't attack. I'll end my turn now."

Yugi drew. "I summon 'Big Shield Gardna' in defense mode, and switch 'Summoned Skull' to defense mode as well. I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."

Anzu was disappointed. _Come on, Yugi! Make one of those big plays you're so good at!_

Jouno drew. His LP rose to 9,500, and Yugi's sank to 7,000. Then Jouno's points rose again, to 10,300, and Yugi's went down to 6,500.

Jouno smiled ear to ear. "Don't they make a great team? My 'Cure Mermaid' gives me 800 LP during my standby phase, and my 'Fire Princess' subtracts 500 of your life points. They're opposites that work well together." He slapped down a new card. "Say hello to my second 'Fire Princess'!"

"Oh no! Yugi!"

"I'm still not done. Now I'll play 'Graceful Charity'!"

The crowd was cheering Jouno's name.

Keiko plugged one ear with her free hand. "Jouno's only on his third turn, and his life points are at 10,800, while Yugi Mutou's are a measly 5,500! The previously lesser known duelist is playing flawlessly!"

o o o

"What I want is so simple."

Bakura started and half-spun. There stood Malik, tears rolling down his face. "I want you to love me!"

Bakura swallowed. "Now's not the time, you idiot. Yugi is losing."

"Of course he's losing." Malik encroached quickly, forcing Bakura backwards until his head bumped into one of the wooden slats. "Any fool knows you don't trifle with the dead." He leaned closer and got right in Bakura's face. Sweat popped out on Bakura's skin. Malik had pitted and rotting flesh, with milky white eyes. "We've got nothing to lose."

27

the duel begins! jouno vs yugi

finish

Kimyo: I'm finally caught up to the point where I was before they deleted this fic! I'm so happy...

KrystalMountain, I'm glad you're still here and you're gonna review more in the future!

OBSESSED Uber Rei, I write this one chapter at a time. I never really know what's gonna happen next. I'm not even sure how this duel will end.

marikslildevil, Anzu is totally gonna die!

Thanks for reviewing also go to bakuraxryou, the nameless, and Sami Ryou's Hikari!


	28. Red Dragon

o

o o

Chapter 28: Red Dragon

o o

o

He lay on the floor, brow furrowed, skin slick with sweat, frightened grunts coming from his throat. Bakura was lost in another nightmare.

Malik knelt over him and slapped him smartly across the face. "Wake up."

Bakura's eyes snapped open. Gasping for breath, he scrambled backwards across the floor, away from Malik.

Malik stood and frowned at him. "What the hell's your problem?"

o o o

Jouno placed one monster facedown and ended his turn.

Anzu looked from him to Yugi. "Come on, Yugi! I know you can turn this duel around!"

His fingers poised over the card he was about to draw, Yugi's mind raced through an inventory of his deck.

_This is for Yami, Honda, Duke, and Mai, and all the other people you've hurt! Heart of the cards, please... guide me!_

He drew his card and looked at it... then smiled. "Your strategy just became worthless! I activate 'Heavy Storm', which destroys all your magic and trap cards!"

Jouno's eyes widened, then narrowed. "I activate my other two traps! 'Jar of Greed'!"

Her hands in tight little fists, Anzu growled, "Shit!" from the sidelines.

Yugi goggled at Anzu for a moment, stunned to hear her swear.

Keiko smiled into the camera. "'Shit', indeed, people! 'Jar of Greed' allows Jouno to draw twice more before his other cards are destroyed! His life points are now up to 11,800, and Yugi's plunge to a paltry 3,500!" The cameraman told her something. "What? ... Huh? Fuck it, let'em bleep me out."

Jouno sneered. "Nice play, Runt."

Yugi smiled back. "I'm not done yet. Say goodbye to your second 'Fire Princess'! I activate 'Change of Heart'!"

Yugi now had three monsters on his side of the field.

o o o

Malik and Bakura stood side by side, watching the duel from under the bleachers. Bakura turned and looked at Malik.

_He didn't say anything about earlier... Is it possible that I dreamed it?_

Malik turned and glared Bakura down. "What the hell are you staring at?"

Bakura blushed and turned away. "Nothing."

"Snap out of your daze, you fool. Yugi's about to call forth one of the Egyptian gods. It's what we came to see."

Bakura looked at Jouno. _That's my enemy. That's who I came to see._

o o o

"Now, I'll sacrifice 'Summoned Skull', 'Big Shield Gardna', and 'Fire Princess'! You wanted a challenge? Say hello to 'Slifer the Sky Dragon'!"

The immense red dragon coiled itself behind its master, filling the arena. Jouno stumbled backwards, taking in the sight, then blinky blinked and doubled over laughing. "Nice try! It's only got 1,000 points!"

He stopped when he noticed Yugi's smile.

"That's right. Slifer has 1,000 attack points because I only have one card in my hand, which I'll play right now: 'Pot of Greed'!"

Slifer's attack rose to 2,000.

Anzu hopped and punched the air. "Yeah! Look who's scared now!"

Jouno decided he'd had enough. He whistled and his pitbull took off like a shot. Anzu ran.

"Anzu!" He turned towards Jouno. "Don't do this!"

Jouno laughed. "She brought it on herself."

Yugi took half a--

"Step away from that podium and you forfeit the duel. Do you forfeit?"

Yugi sweatdropped and growled the way Yami might. "Slifer, attack his 'Cure Mermaid'!"

Slifer unleashed a fiery white blast from its mouth, and 'Cure Mermaid' was destroyed. Jouno's LP fell to 11,300.

Jouno smiled. "Hardly a scratch."

o o o

Anzu ran out of the arena, with the pitbull in wild pursuit.

Malik stepped away from Bakura. "I'll go help her." He noticed the way Bakura was looking at him. "What is it?"

Bakura shook his head, and Malik ran off.

_I must have dreamed the whole thing. He's acting perfectly normal now._

o o o

Jouno drew and looked his cards over, then ended his turn without doing anything.

Yugi summoned a second monster, 'Beta the Magnet Warrior'. "Go, Beta! Destroy his remaining 'Fire Princess'!"

Since she had been in defense mode, Jouno lost no life points. All he had now was one facedown monster. Once the smoke had cleared, he smirked at Yugi. "Well? Go ahead and attack."

Yugi sweatdropped. _What could he be planning?_ "Slifer, attack his facedown card!"

"You've triggered my monster's effect."

"It won't do you any good against Slifer!"

Jouno chuckled. "Who said I was trying to hurt Slifer? My monster is 'Magician of Faith'. I can now retrieve one magic card from my graveyard." He selected 'Graceful Charity', nodding approvingly. "Well? Are you done yet?"

"I end my turn."

"Good." He set down three cards, but no monster, then eyed Yugi across the field. "Well?"

Yugi contemplated the new cards for a few long seconds. "I'll end my turn without moving."

"This'll be a dull match if no one attacks." Jouno drew. "I summon 'Nimble Momonga' in attack mode!"

"You've activated Slifer's special ability! Every time a monster is summoned on your side of the field, Slifer's second mouth opens!"

Slifer prepared to blast Nimble Momonga with blue light from its second mouth.

"Ha!" Jouno flipped over his card. "I activate 'Magic Arm Shield'!" Nimble Momonga held it, and the shield's doors swung open. A hand came out and, reaching across the field, seized Beta.

"Not so fast! I'll destroy 'Magic Arm Shield' with my facedown card! 'Seven Tools of the Bandit'!" Yugi paid 1,000 LP to use it, dropping his total to 2,500.

Jouno trembled. For a moment, Yugi thought he was crying, but then Jouno lifted his head and sneered.

"I guess great minds do think alike." He flipped over his second trap card. "My 'Seven Tools of the Bandit' cancels yours out."

Held by 'Magic Arm Shield', Beta took the attack intended for 'Nimble Momonga'. He didn't have enough attack points to withstand the blast, and was destroyed. Jouno's LP dropped to 9,000.

o o o

Anzu ran into the lobby, which was empty except for a handful of Kaiba's men.

_"Help me!"_

They became alarmed when they saw the monstrous dog chasing her. Two of the men caught her and rushed her away as the others stepped forward, drawing their guns, and opened fire on the pitbull.

The dog slowed down, but gave no indication that it had been shot. It sniffed at a spot on the floor and whimpered.

Guns still poised, they closed in, surrounding it.

The dog looked around at them, then vomited.

The men frowned and sweatdropped, some covering their noses and mouths.

"What the hell is that?"

"Looks like innards..."

"It's moving!"

"Oh, shit!"

They all jumped backwards. The writhing things on the floor suddenly swelled and developed into six more dogs just like the first one.

The slimy, foul smelling, deformed offspring chased Kaiba's men down and devoured them.

o o o

Jouno drew. "I'll activate my last facedown card. 'Graceful Charity'."

Yugi burned holes into his mysterious opponent. _All he's got on the field is 'Nimble Momonga', whose attack strength is only 1,000, and I've got 'Slifer the Sky Dragon' on my side! But he doesn't seem worried at all! What could he have up his sleeve?_

Jouno's disappointment in his new hand was obvious.

"What's wrong? Didn't draw the card you needed?"

Jouno nodded, and said to himself, "This is very disappointing..." He looked at Yugi. "You turned out to be so much weaker than I expected."

Alarm etched itself upon Yugi's face.

"I'll power up my 'Nimble Momonga' now... with these."

Yugi's facial features went slack. _Oh no... Oh NO!_

Jouno laid down two 'Mage Power's and one 'United We Stand', giving 'Nimble Momonga' a grand total of 4,800 attack points.

Every jaw in the arena dropped and they watched in stunned silence as 'Nimble Momonga', a little flying squirrel, jumped up and attacked Slifer head-on.

Slifer was destroyed in a flood of white light, and Yugi lost 1,800 more life points-- he now had only 700 left, and Jouno still had 9,000.

o o o

The two men escorted Anzu into a nice office.

"Sit down and make yourself comfortable."

Wiping her tears away, she shook her head. "I can't stay here. Yugi needs me." She tried to get between them, to the door. They held her back.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but our Master has ordered us to keep you here."

"Your master? You mean Kaiba? Where is he--?"

A familiar voice: "Don't you dare speak his name."

The men stepped aside to let Malik enter the room. Anzu was surprised to see hatred in his icy lavender eyes.

"Kaiba belongs to me, you worthless little cunt."

"Malik, what are you saying--"

He drew back and punched her squarely in the eye. She fell backwards against the large mahogany desk.

"Who the hell said you could speak?"

Anzu cowered, fresh tears wetting her face, hand clamped over her throbbing eye.

Malik's head hung forward and he glared up at Anzu from beneath his bangs. "Yugi is yours for the taking. He loves you _so_ much... It must be nice." He struck her again, knocking her to the side. "I hate girls like you."

She glared at him. "Get out of Malik's body right now, you evil spirit!"

Malik smiled, a crazed glint in his eyes. "Oh, but I _am_ Malik."

28

red dragon

finish

Kimyo: This is my first new chapter in ages. I'm kinda nervous, so please review and let me know what you think!


	29. Anzu's Demise

Kimyo: So anyway, this chapter takes a break from the duel... I can't really say where I got the idea for this chapter, and I have NO IDEA what happens next. So don't forget to review! Your reviews help shape the storyline!

Thank you for reviewing to Mana-the-Authoress, SilverShadowFire, KrystalMountain, OBSESSED Uber Rei, MarikRules, bakuraxryou, InsaneShadowFan, marikslildevil, and Sami Ryou's Hikari!

**Chapter 29: Anzu's Demise**

Kaiba could not stop trembling beneath the down comforter Jouno had draped over him before leaving. Cold sweat shone on his face, and all that could be heard were his shaky inhalations. His eyes were closed and his head was down. His hands were trembling. His wrists, like his ankles, were lashed to the bedframe with nylon rope. His binds were tight enough to cut off his circulation. He squeezed his hands shut and open again, trying to make the feeling go away.

_"... his body's on the roof..."_

A sob escaped his throat and tears seeped out, mixing with the perspiration.

"Mokuba."

He wildly shook his head.

_Mokuba! You can't be dead!_

_Big Brother!_

Kaiba's breath hitched and he opened his eyes wide. He looked around the room.

He was alone.

"Mokuba?"

Silence.

Then...

_Big Brother! Big Brother, please, come save me!_

"Mokuba!" He tried to pull free. The way he was tied forced him to lay spread eagled. He flexed his arms and legs, and drew them towards his center.

_This bedframe is wooden. How strong can it be?_

It gave, but not much. He stopped and his body slumped as he caught his breath. He looked down at the rope binding his ankles.

_There's got to be some way out of this!_

_Big Brother, help!_ He sounded so afraid.

Kaiba tried again, teeth bared in a sweat soaked grimace. The bedframe began to creak. He imagined that his body was made of steel, and every muscle in his body flexed.

_"nnnNHH!"_

Gasping for breath but refusing to let up, He opened his eyes and saw Yami standing in the doorway, holding a small dagger.

"You look like you need help." Crossing the room to the bed, his motions were odd, as if he were flickering in and out of corporeality.

He held out the knife. "I can help..."

"I don't need your help!" He pulled harder...

o o o

Eyes wide, she half-spun and looked in the direction the noise had come from.

The little blonde girl had been gazing out over the lake from the balconey when she'd heard something very loud and sudden from Kaiba's room.

Walking down the marble floored hallway in pale bare feet, she could not fight back the certainty that something was horribly wrong. The claws of her guard dogs clicked on the floor behind her. They made her feel safe, but she was still afraid she'd walk in and find that Kaiba was dead.

_dead torn apart ripped open guts everywhere_

She stopped walking and closed her eyes. "No. Not Kaiba."

She entered the room, and it took her a long time to digest the sight that awaited her.

Kaiba was gone.

She walked over to the bed, looking at the crumpled linens. There were stains from what Jouno had done to him the night before-- browning blood, sticky cum. But something else demanded her attention.

The headboard had seemed to be durable, high quality workmanship, but now it was pulverized.

She ran her fingers over the splintered wood, remembering what she'd thought the sound had been.

_It sounded like a thousand twigs snapping at once... How could Kaiba summon such monstrous strength?_

The dogs began growling. They backed from Kaiba, who was standing in the doorway, trembling in a cold sweat, hastily clothed, dark circles under haunted eyes.

"Kaiba." She started to smile, but then her gaze was drawn to his hand. He was holding a gun.

"Give me back my baby brother."

She didn't understand what he meant at first. It took a moment for her to remember that she was still holding Mokuba's head.

The pitbulls crouched, ready to attack, deep growls in their throats.

"Don't be foolish, Kaiba..."

"Call these mongrels off and get your hands off of Mokuba's head, you twisted little fuck!"

She smiled. "You are so hot. Next time, I'll be seme."

Eyes wide, Kaiba frowned, and his head jerked. "Who are you? Why are you in league with Wheeler?"

Her head tilted sideways and her eyes narrowed. "Don't dwell on it or you'll get confused."

Looking into those eyes, Kaiba became certain of one thing: This girl, whoever she was, was as stark raving mad as Jouno Wheeler.

"You might as well drop the gun. These dogs are very special. Bullets won't hurt them."

Kaiba's mouth twitched. "Let's see." He shot the dog nearest him, and it fell over, dead.

The girl screamed, and the others attacked in full force. One jumped for Kaiba's face and sank its jaws into Kaiba's raised forearm. Kaiba bared his teeth and growled in his throat from the pain. He raised his free hand and shot the dog in the face just before the others lunged at his blind spot with enough force to send him crashing to the floor.

He felt jaws clamping down on his arms and legs, teeth digging in, shaking their heads to help destroy the flesh, pulling him in opposite directions. He heard someone screaming, but didn't realize that it was him.

The girl sobbed openly.

o o o

Tears were streaming down Malik's face.

He was straddling Anzu, pinning her to the desktop. She had been crying and screaming alot earlier, but now, she was struggling for breath under the sheet of plastic Malik had pressed over her face.

The plastic was transparent. Malik saw Anzu's face as he suffocated her-- watched her eyes glaze. Her grip loosened around Malik's arms and her hands fell, swinging over the sides of the desk.

She was dead.

Sitting back on his haunches, Malik sighed. One of Kaiba's men, who were guarding the door, asked him if he was okay.

He looked at them. "It was..." He shook his head and sighed again, looking at Anzu's still warm corpse. "I don't know. Halfway through... I started wondering why..." He stopped and looked at them again. "I guess it just hit a little too close to home, raping a girl."

"Are you having doubts?"

Malik's gaze hardened. "Of course not. Although..." He wiped away his tears. "I have to wonder if anything has happened to my counterparts." Stepping down, he took Anzu's corpse into his arms, and walked to the door. "Let's go."

o o o

Jouno didn't understand why his eyes were watering. It annoyed him, but he was so intent on the duel, it didn't occur to him that anything might be wrong.

**29**

anzu's demise

finish


	30. Blue Behemoth

Kimyo: Thanks to Sami Ryou's Hikari, marikslildevil, SilverShadowFire, MarikRules, and bakuraxryou for reviewing!

Writing a duel has been tough, but your response to Jouno vs Yugi has been so encouraging. Hope you like this chapter, and look forward to after the duel's over, when we can focus on gut wrenching horror again!

**Chapter 30: Blue Behemoth**

He was grinning ear to ear, shaking from poorly withheld laughter.

Yugi drew, and for a moment, he thought he saw his best friend across the field.

Jouno looked back across the field and saw nothing but another obstacle to knock down. He steeled himself, his teeth clenched in a sneer. _This is it! One more attack and Yugi will die! There's not a single monster in his deck that can beat Nimble Momonga!_

Yugi scrutinized his hand, then placed one card facedown and ended his turn without summoning a monster. "Your turn, Joey."

He scowled. "Don't address me that way. I'm not your friend. Never was." He drew, and eyed Yugi's facedown card. _It's probably either 'Mirror Force' or 'Magic Cylinder'... I'll switch Nimble Momonga to defense mode and..._ "I summon 'Gearfried the Iron Knight' in attack mode!" One of Joey's favorite monsters appeared on the field beside Nimble Momonga. _Yugi's only got 700 life points left, so I'll attack with Gearfried. If it's 'Mirror Force', my Nimble Momonga will be safe and able to attack next turn!_

"Attack, Gearfried!"

Yugi sprang into action. "I activate my facedown card! 'Spell Textbook'!"

Gearfried stopped in the middle of the field. Jouno frowned, annoyed, but not surprised.

Yugi discarded his entire hand. Now he could draw just one card. If it was a magic card, he'd be able to activate it immediately. If not, then it was all over.

_Please... Heart of the Cards... Heart of the Cards..._

He drew.

Tears shone in his eyes as he slapped the card down. "I activate 'Swords of Revealing Light'!" Gearfried returned to his side of the field without attacking.

Jouno's eyes bulged. _ King of the lucky fucking draw!_ His eyes narrowed. He switched Gearfried to defense mode and ended his turn.

Yugi drew. "I'll summon 'Queen's Knight' in defense mode!"

Jouno had never seen Queen's Knight before. _Man, what a dorky looking monster._ "My turn."

_Come on, 'Mystical Space Typhoon'..._ He got another 'Solemn Wishes'.

_Shit. I don't need anymore fucking life points._ He growled and ended his turn.

Yugi drew. "I activate 'Graceful Charity'." His expression had changed. There was actually hope in his eyes. Jouno was disgusted.

"I summon 'King's Knight'!"

Jouno's eyebrow perked. _He resembles 'Queen's Knight'... I guess they're a set..._

"I'll also summon 'Jack's Knight'."

"Wait a minute! You can't summon two monsters in one turn! That's against the rules!"

"It's my knight's special ability." Yugi smiled. "I thought you knew how to play this game."

Jouno was about to hurl an insult at the runt, but his mouth froze as he realized that Yugi had once again managed to gather three monsters on his side of the field.

_His hand is empty now, but it's only a matter of time before he draws another god. Obelisk's only got an attack of 4,000, but if it's Ra..._

He drew. He placed his new card facedown on the field and ended his turn.

Yugi played 'Dark Spell Regeneration' and retrieved 'Pot of Greed' from the graveyard, which he used right away.

"I'll summon 'Watapon' and 'Alpha the Magnet Warrior'."

Jouno sweatdropped. "... My turn..." He was once again disappointed in his draw and did nothing.

The way Yugi smiled at his new card sent a chill over Jouno.

"And now..."

He slapped the card down. "I'll sacrifice my three knights to summon 'Obelisk the Tormenter'!"

Thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd as the blue behemoth rose from the ground behind Yugi.

"And now I'll sacrifice Watapon and my Magnet Warrior to Obelisk, giving him infinite power!"

The blood drained from Jouno's face as Obelisk reached for the monsters.

He snapped out of it and flipped over his facedown card. "I activate 'Magical Trick Mirror', which allows me to activate a magic or trap card from your graveyard! And I'll use 'Brain Control' to take Watapon away from you!"

'Brain Control' snatched Watapon out of Obelisk's grasp at the last moment.

Yugi didn't miss a beat. "Obelisk, destroy Gearfried!"

Jouno recoiled as Gearfried was vaporized in a devastating bluish white blast.

Yugi ended his battle phase and laid one card facedown. "I end my turn."

Jouno drew, and 'Swords of Revealing Light' expired. Watapon returned to Yugi's side of the field. Jouno sneered. _It doesn't matter now. I'll attack with Nimble Momonga and take away the rest of your life points! You're dead, Yugi!_

"I switch Nimble Momonga to attack mode! Go! Destroy another god!"

Nimble Momonga was two thirds of the way across the field when Jouno remembered Yugi's facedown card, which he flipped over.

"Now I'll activate 'Absorb Spell'! Obelisk will absorb Nimble Momonga's power ups!"

Obelisk now had an attack of 9400, and Nimble Momonga's strength was back to normal-- 1000.

"Counterattack, Obelisk!"

_"NO!"_

Jouno watched helplessly as his monster was killed. His life points plummeted from 9,000 to 600.

o o o

Kaiba was standing in a crowded airport terminal. He felt weak, and lacked the presence of mind to wonder why he was there.

_... skreee..._

His gaze was drawn to his right, and through the crowd, he saw a girl in a white dress carrying a brown leather suitcase. She was alone, and she looked nervous, seeming to search the crowd for something. Setting down her suitcase, she brought a Duel Monsters deck out of her purse and gazed at her cards.

As Kaiba moved through the crowd, trying to reach her, she turned away, as if she knew he was coming and didn't want to talk to him. He got close enough to look over her shoulder at her cards. The top one was a monster-- Nimble Momonga.

Hands seized Kaiba's shoulders and he was forced to turn and face Jouno Wheeler, who was oddly Kaiba's exact height.

"Wake up!"

The scene went gray and through the fog he heard the girl screaming.

_"Stop! STOP!"_

Kaiba woke with a soft gasp and found himself laying in the very same bed.

He sat up and pulled back the down comforter. He was nude, but he was not tied down. He looked at the pristine headboard.

As he began to wonder if he'd dreamt it all, he noticed that his wrists were chafed with rope burn. He looked down at his arms and legs, where the dogs had bitten him. His limbs were covered with purple jaw imprints, but his skin was not broken.

Looking up, he saw a lamp table in the doorway. On it was a silver platter, and and set in the middle of it was Mokuba's head.

o o o

Jouno's LP rose to 1600. It was Nimble Momonga's special ability. He was also able to special summon the other two Nimble Momongas from his deck in defense mode. The light had left Jouno's eyes.

_It doesn't matter. They've only got a defense of 100. Yugi will destroy them next turn, then take the rest of my life points. I can't believe I'm going to lose!_

He assessed his hand.

_Is there any way to fight infinity?_

o o o

He made his way to the roof and found Mokuba's ravaged corpse.

The long sleeved shirt was pulled up, the chest covered with half moon bite marks. The pants had been torn away, and the underwear were clinging, inside out, to one ankle. Kaiba trembled violently, choked sobs escaping his throat.

He placed Mokuba's head in its proper place. Tears clouding his vision, Kaiba fell forward and kissed his baby brother's sunken eyelids.

"Mokuba!"

He put Mokuba's clothes back on, hating that the boy's skin was cold and dead.

"I failed you, Mokuba. You didn't deserve this."

He slipped out of his trench coat and lovingly bundled Mokuba in it.

"He'll pay for doing this to you... I'll make him sorry he ever touched you!"

Gathering Mokie in his arms, he strode to the helicopter.

o o o

Jouno set two cards facedown and ended his turn.

Yugi drew. "It's time to pay for what you did to my friends! I'll activate Obelisk's special ability: Soul Energy MAX!"

"Hold it! I activate 'Tribute to the Doomed' and destroy Alpha the Magnet Warrior!"

Now Yugi didn't have the two sacrifices required. Displeased, he had Obelisk and Watapon attack Jouno's defense monsters. Thanks to their special ability, Jouno's LP rose to 3600. "I'll also activate another 'Solemn Wishes'."

He sneered. _That moron! He left Watapon in attack mode! All I need is to summon a monster with at least 900 attack points, and I'll win!_

Now it was Jouno's turn. He drew, and his life points rose to 4100. _Fuck. I have too many magic and trap cards in this deck._ He set one facedown card and ended his turn.

"Attack, Obelisk and Watapon! Wipe out his life points!"

Jouno flipped over his trap-- "Mirror Force!"

"That won't work on Obelisk!"

"So what? Say goodbye to your Watapon!" The little puffball was destroyed, but Obelisk's attack hit home.

Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi was jumping out of her skin. "Talk about comebacks! Yugi Mutou has taken all but 100 of Jouno Wheeler's life points! I know I should remain neutral, folks, but I'd say Wheeler's screwed!"

**30**

**blue behemoth**

**finish**


	31. Clash of the Gods

Kimyo: Hey, Sami Ryou's Hikari, you thought it was graphic? Really? I never really think about how people will react to what I write... Are you sure you want Jouno to win? I mean, he's the one who killed Mokie in the first place. I hope you'll keep reading to the end, and come back for the sequel!

InsaneShadowFan, I hate tragic endings, too! Keep reading!

Thanks for reviewing also go to MarikRules, bakuraxryou, SilverShadowFire, OBSESSED Uber Rei, and marikslildevil!

**Chapter 31: Clash of the Gods**

Malik had a definite bounce in his step as he rejoined BakuChan beneath the bleachers. His smile was unnerving. Bakura glared at him for a moment, then looked back to the duel.

Malik kept smiling his secretive smile at Bakura.

"... So, who's winning?"

"Yugi just took all but one hundred of that bitch's life points, and he's got Obelisk on the field. What do you think?"

"Oh, you shouldn't underestimate Sadamara."

"Who?"

"Sadamara. You know, Sadako and Samara." He gazed out at the duel. "You should know by now that a great duelist can cling to her last life points like grim death. It's still anyone's duel."

o o o

KSan and Fluffy were in the storage basement below Malik and Fluffy's apartment complex. It was dank and musty. They were surrounded by cardboard boxes stacked in towers that stopped just short of the ceiling.

Fluffy hated the closeness of the space, but he fought off the claustrophobia. "Let's hurry up and find what we came for."

They started digging through the boxes.

o o o

Jouno drew, and 'Solemn Wishes' raised his LP to 600. _What a lousy hand. Not a single monster. I can't use 'Enemy Controller' because it costs 1,000 LP to activate._ He clicked his tongue. _I should've set 'Solemn Wishes' down as soon as I drew it. This would be over already! 'Left Arm Offering'... Yugi would be able to add a magic card to his hand, but he'd have to discard the rest of his hand._ He stole a glance at Yugi. _He's only holding one card... _Looking down at his cards, the pieces of a strategy came together, and a smile stretched across his face.

_Okay... I'll play this... Then I'll use this, and..._ His facial features drooped. _It's not enough. I'll still lose. I need more cards... I can't lose this way. I can't lose!_

_Wait... I'll try it this way... Okay... I hope this works... Please, let this work!_

He set one card facedown. "I activate 'Left Hand Offering'."

Yugi added 'Monster Reborn' to his hand and discarded his 'Dark Magician'.

"Now I activate 'Card Exchange." He smiled wickedly at Little Yugi.

Yugi was forced to take the only card Jouno had-- 'Enemy Controller'.

Jouno was all too glad to get Yugi's 'Monster Reborn'. "And I guess I'll end my turn now."

Yugi drew, and set his new card on the field. _That facedown card must be powerful, but I can't let this chance slip through my fingers!_ "Obelisk, attack! Fist of Fate!"

"I activate 'Necromancy'!"

Yugi's three Knights and Summoned Skull appeared on Jouno's side of the field in defense mode. Summoned Skull absorbed Obelisk's attack and was destroyed. Obelisk's attack strength decreased to 3400.

Jouno applauded him. "Good work, Yugi! Go on, attack the others. Weaken Obelisk more, if you will."

o o o

They weren't surprised that they didn't find a well in Ryou's basement. He, ShuChan, and Hiro emerged, sweaty, dirty, and empty handed.

"Well," said ShuChan, "Let's hope KSan and Fluffy had more luck."

He noticed that Ryou's head was lowered. "Hm? Ryou, you alright?"

"... I'm sorry. I brought you into this..."

"Don't worry," said Hiro. "Shindo has a gift for finding trouble."

"It's my fault. I was the one who wanted to see that movie."

"It's not like you could've known. I'm still in disbelief myself."

Hiro's cell phone rang. "Yeah. ... Okay. We'll see you at Kaiba Land." He snapped it shut. "That was K. They found something."

o o o

Jouno drew and his life points rose to 1100. He got another 'Magician of Faith' and set it facedown. _This'll take a while._

Yugi drew. _This may be helpful later. _He set it down and ended his turn.

Jouno drew his last 'Jar of Greed' and smiled. _This'll help._ He set it down and ended his turn.

Yugi didn't draw the card he needed. _Not yet..._ He looked at his deck. _But I know these cards won't let me down!_

Jouno drew and his LP rose to 2100. _I can't believe he hasn't summoned anything new. I'm getting bored..._

Yugi drew and ended his turn without doing anything again.

Jouno was getting antsy. _Why the fuck doesn't he do something? It's unnerving!_ He met Yugi's steely gaze and forced himself to calm down.

_What kind of strategy are you cooking up, Yugi? Do you think it'll be better than mine?_ He drew. _Okay, Little Yugi, time to end this duel!_

"I activate 'Monster Reborn' and I'm bringing back Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

The dragon slithered up behind Jouno and loomed over the arena, matching Obelisk's awesome presence.

"How do you expect to defeat Obelisk? Slifer only has 2000 attack points!"

Jouno flipped over 'Magician of Faith', triggering her special effect. "Now I'll retrieve 'Pot of Greed' and use it."

Looking up at Slifer, Yugi felt his first twinge of real fear.

"But I'm not done. I'll also activate 'Jar of Greed'. Now Slifer has 5,000 attack points. Go, Slifer! Destroy Obelisk!"

"Not so fast!" Yugi flipped over one of his facedown cards. "Go! Lightforce Sword!"

The sword shot across the field and knocked one card out of Jouno's hand. He half spun and glared at the impaled hologram of his advantage. Then he heard an earth shaking _crash_ and turned in time to watch Slifer and Obelisk destroy each other. He shielded his face against the blast and the flood of blue and red digital confetti.

Keiko got knocked on her ass. _"Whoo!"_

Jouno pursed his lips. _Shit. I meant to take the last of his life points with that move. Well, at least I got rid of Obelisk. I've also got more monsters on the field, and more life points._ "Fine." He shrugged. "I end my turn."

Yugi drew. He looked at the card and smiled. "This is it." He turned over his last facedown card. "I activate 'Soul Exchange' and take back the three Knights you stole from me!"

Jouno watched in horror as King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight went to Yugi's side of the field.

Yugi held up his new card, smiling at Jouno. "And now, I'll sacrifice my three knights to bring forth my most powerful beast!"

Golden bolts of thunder shot out across the arena, and Jouno stumbled backwards a couple of steps. "Oh, _shit!"_

_The only monster I've got on the field is Magician of Faith, and she's still in attack mode!_

Everyone groaned and turned away from the golden light, their eyes squeezed shut. The light died down, but it was oddly quiet.

Jouno looked at Ra, and laughed.

Ra was in its dormant orb form.

Jouno laughed harder and pointed at Yugi, who was horrified. "I trust you speak Ancient Egyptian!"

**31**

**clash of the gods**

**finish**


	32. Golden God

Kimyo: Hello! Thanks for all your reviews! Thank you, InsaneShadowFan, Mana the Authoress, OBSESSED Uber Rei, marikslildevil, MarikRules, Sami Ryou's Hikari, and SilverShadowFire!

**Chapter 32: Golden God**

Bakura's eyes widened and he regarded Malik in disbelief. "What the fucking hell are you laughing at?"

With some effort, Malik quelled his hysterical laughter and wiped his tears away. He looked Bakura in the eyes for a second, and wiggled his brows.

"You're not--"

Malik smiled and punched Bakura hard enough to knock him off of his feet and send him flying backwards. He hit the floor, face in a pained grimace.

"You shouldn't have rejected me, BakaChan."

Malik was on top of him, and they were struggling. Malik grabbed the leather strap that held the Millennium Ring and pulled it tight around Bakura's neck. Eyes wide, face turning purple, he fought, but only succeeded in making himself pass out.

Malik took the Millennium Ring and put it around his neck.

o o o

Yugi closed his eyes and focused. _Yami was a pharaoh. He knew Ancient Egyptian. Of course he did!_ He opened his eyes and realized he had spoken about the pharaoh in the past tense. He shook his head. _No. Yami will return._

Jouno watched Yugi struggle, hand on hip, sneering. "You're not gonna remember. Hurry up and end your turn so I can kill you."

o o o

KSan and Fluffy were waiting by the street in front of KaibaLand when a cab pulled up. Ryou, ShuChan, and Hiro got out.

"What did you find?"

Fluffy took a piece of cardstock out of his pocket. He showed them, and they goggled.

After a few long seconds, Ryou asked, "Is that really her?"

ShuChan slowly nodded. "It's scary..."

o o o

Malik stepped out from under the bleachers. Keiko recognized him immediately and ran to him, followed by her cameraman.

"It's Malik Ishtar, wanted in connection with the Kaiba Manor slayings! Mr. Ishtar!" She shoved the mic in Malik's face. Everyone else except Yugi had noticed his arrival, and Jouno was watching Malik with amused interest.

"Mr. Ishtar, do you have a statement?"

Malik's smile widened. He turned to face the camera and tossed his head forward, letting his sandy bangs cover his eyes almost completely. His icy gaze met the camera and he hissed, _"Everyone will suffer."_ Then he broke into laughter.

Keiko's mouth opened, but before she could ask him to elaborate, she heard thudding. She looked around and was shocked. Every single member of the audience had fallen over dead. Their flesh was gray and water logged, their faces twisted in death masks. "Holy shit. Hurry," she told her cameraman, "Get this shot!" The cameraman panned around, filming all the corpses.

Yugi gasped, then turned an accusing eye to Jouno. "What have you done?"

"Actually," said Malik, "It was me." He strode up and stood at Jouno's side. "It would appear you're having trouble summoning Ra. Let me help." He crossed his arms before his chest and closed his eyes:

"Sedjem netcher ah dejed medoo een bak en pair-ah! Niece ink Re, hekka en ray!" _(Hear, great god, words spoken by the pharaoh's servant! I invoke Ra, ruler of the sun!)_

Yugi cried out and recoiled against the light that assaulted them all as Ra awakened.

o o o

The five of them were almost running to the main entrance of KaibaLand.

"How do you think she'll react when we confront her?" wondered ShuChan.

"We know who she is now," replied Hiro. "She's lost her mystique, and with it, most of her power."

"Do you think so?" asked Ryou. "Could it really be that simple?"

"We won't know until we face her," said Fluffy. When they reached the bank of double doors leading to the main lobby, he opened the door for Ryou and ShuChan. Ryou let ShuChan enter first, then followed, and walked into him.

ShuChan had stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" He followed ShuChan's gaze, and he gasped. "Oh no... oh..." He covered his mouth.

Hiro and Fluffy came in and they all saw Anzu.

Ryou stumbled backwards a few steps and began retching in the corner.

KSan, Hiro, and Fluffy walked over and looked at the corpse.

KSan growled, "Sick bitch."

"Why would she do this?"

ShuChan joined them. "She wants them to see. She wants people to know."

o o o

As the light's intensity lessened, Yugi looked up at Malik again, and saw the Sennen Ring hanging around his neck. "Malik, fight her! This isn't you!"

Malik closed in behind Jouno, and, putting his arms around the blonde, kissed the hollow of his neck. Jouno turned his head towards Malik and murmurred, "Finish it."

Malik nodded. "Ra, attack Little Yugi!"

Yugi was engulfed in Ra's attack and screamed as he lost the last of his life points. He fell off of his podium and landed hard. The duel disk, still jacked into the arena system, was torn away. He saw them closing in-- on one side, Jouno and Malik. On the other, Keiko and her cameraman, who only cared about recording the human drama.

**32**

**golden god**

**finish**


	33. Someone Else

Kimyo: I was inspired to start writing this fic when I found the mini-feature Ryou and Bakura watch in chapter one. I watched it again the next day. I honestly didn't know if Samara would come out of the well. I was seriously afraid for days afterward, thinking, maybe, just maybe...

Sometimes I worry that writing stories about Sadamara and thinking about her as constantly as I do, I'm angering her and/or giving her power. Sometimes I fear that my story will bring her to life and she'll come after me. Sometimes I wish my imagination wasn't so vivid.

In researching, I found a few websites with screen shots from _The Ring Virus,_ the Korean remake. The cursed tape in that movie is tinged blue. That and other scraps came together in my mind to create this chapter.

Have you ever had a nightmare with circumstances exactly like your waking life? It's the same day, the same time, your surroundings are exactly as they were when you fell asleep. It's a high level of realism, which makes it that much scarier. It was so real, beyond real. The girl even had blonde hair, as I've given her in this fic. I thought I was going to die, and trust me, it's very different when she's actually coming for you.

I present this chapter exactly as I dreamed it; I only changed the names.

Welcome to my nightmare.

**Chapter 33**

**Someone Else**

It was 5 or 6 in the morning. The sun had not yet risen. Bakura was still in bed, wishing he could fall asleep again. He heard Ryou washing up in the bathroom, which was right next to his room. He could also hear Malik and Fluffy in the kitchen making breakfast. His door was closed and the lights were out. Bakura couldn't sleep.

The TV turned itself on.

It was showing nothing but a black screen, but he could hear its hum. Bakura rolled out of bed and fumbled around, trying to find the remote. He looked at the screen and an image flashed for just a moment. Bakura froze and stared at the now black again screen.

_I couldn't have seen what I thought I saw..._

It had been the well scene from _The Ring,_ and Samara had just climbed out.

_I must be mistaken--_

The image came on again and stayed. A girl in a white dress was approaching the screen. The picture was tinged blue, and the girl's hair formed a wavy blonde wall that covered her face entirely.

Bakura tried to remember how many days it had been since he'd seen the mini-feature, but he already knew the answer.

Her blonde hair was filling the picture now, pressing against the screen.

Before she could push through, Bakura screamed, and, throwing the door open, ran out into the hall.

He ran into the bathroom, where Ryou was combing his hair at the vanity. Throwing his arms around his light, he cried hysterically and told Ryou what had happened. Malik and Fluffy heard from the kitchen, and came to listen in.

As Ryou tried to calm Bakura, they all heard a little girl's voice:

_"Mommy."_

They all froze, wide eyed, and listened.

_"... Mommy..."_ It began talking, having a one-sided conversation. It was in Bakura's room. The four investigated and found a talking doll sitting on Bakura's headboard.

The room was otherwise unchanged. The TV was off and Ryou tried to dismiss the incident as a strange dream, but Bakura knew the truth. He looked at the TV and knew Samara would come after him as soon as he was alone.

That night Bakura was out on the porch. It was a large deck porch. There was a couch, and, in front of it, a TV. Bakura looked at the TV. It was showing _The Ring._ The movie was showing an unidentifiable closeup in black and white. A red light on the digital receiver box indicated that it was recording.

Bakura narrowed his eyes. _Malik... Fluffy... What a sick joke..._

Bakura didn't want to see Samara come out of the TV. He grabbed the remote and frantically pressed all of the buttons. The channel changed, to a comedy, and Bakura sighed relief.

Bakura realized Malik and Fluffy would be mad that he'd stopped their recording, so he decided to put things back as they were and get the hell out of there. He searched the schedule, but couldn't find _The Ring_ showing on any channel, and didn't find anything recorded on the DVR.

o o o

Bakura woke, but didn't open his eyes. The floor beneath him was cold and hard, and his neck hurt.

The image of the blonde hair pressing against the TV screen was fresh in his mind. It was soft and wavy, nothing like Sadako's or Samara's.

_It wasn't Sadako... It wasn't Samara... It was... someone else..._

**33**

**someone else**

**finish**

Kimyo: I was supposed to post this last night, but I got so rattled trying to write it, that I had to stop and wait until daylight. Sometimes I really, really, REALLY wish my imagination wasn't so vivid.

Thanks to Mana the Authoress, OBSESSED Uber Rei, marikslildevil, SilverShadowFire, and Sami Ryou's Hikari for reviewing! I won't say when I'll update again, 'cause that might jinx it and then I'd not be able to update again for a really long time. (knock on wood.) After the final chapter, I think I'll tell how your reviews helped shape and change the story. Your words have had alot of impact on my work. Hope you realize that. So don't forget to review!


	34. Cut the Skin and Taste the Blood

Kimyo: Thank you all for reviewing!

InsaneShadowFan, That "Ring o' Roses" always gave me the creeps, and now I know why! "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!" It means, "We're all gonna die!" Little kids sing that? (shudders)

OBSESSED Uber Rei, I was scared of my TV, too. I would look at my TV, which is the perfect size for her to climb through, and get that mental image from my dream. I felt like there was someone behind me. I kept thinking someone would grab my shoulder. I have a similar fear of windows at night. We don't open our windows, because we don't want bugs getting in,but sometimes I look out at the dark and imagine that something inhuman will jump into view and stare at me with big, soulless eyes... As for "The Hours", I've put that fic and "Jou No: The Grudge" on unoffical hiatus. Once I finish this fic, I'm planning to go focus on my grudge fic, then after I finish that, I'm going to move on to my hours fic. Hope you don't mind waiting, but it's alot easier not jumping back and forth between stories. Don't worry, I have every intention of finishing all of my stories! Nothing saddens and disappoints me more than a writer announcing that they're abandoning their fics!

marikslildevil, sucks that you won't be reading my fics for a while, but look at it this way: when you get back, you'll have tons of backreading with no waiting between cliffhangers!

Additional thanks go to MarikRules, bakuraxryou, Mana the Authoress, Sami Ryou's Hikari, and SilverShadowFire!

**Chapter 34**

**Cut the Skin and Taste the Blood**

Yugi was on the floor, at Malik and Jouno's mercy now.

Malik took the Egyptian god cards and gazed at them. "I can't believe it... You know, there was a time when these three cards were the most important thing in the world to me."

"Go ahead and keep'em, then," said Jouno. He kept eye contact with Yugi. "They're just stupid little pieces of cardstock."

"Joey, please... I know you're in there. Please, Joey, you can fight this."

Jouno's gaze seemed to soften for a moment. He shook his head and walked off. "Take care of him. I'm gonna go check out your handiwork."

Malik watched him leave, then turned his attention to Little Yugi. Yugi gazed up at him, so small, so helpless.

Malik smiled. "You're really kinda cute, you know that?"

Yugi lowered his head. _I'm alone..._

Malik put his hand on Yugi's knee. "Yugi..."

Yugi sobbed, his teeth bared in a grimace of despair.

"Yugi, look at me."

Yugi opened his eyes and met Malik's gentle gaze. "Malik?"

"Yugi... Anzu's dead."

Yugi's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"I beat her, raped her, and killed her." A smile broke out on Malik's face. "She squealed like a pig." He laughed.

o o o

As he'd wanted, there was a spotlight on her. However...

Jouno paused when he saw Anzu's corpse. He snorted and began walking towards it again.

He stepped to the edge of the shadows, feeling very displeased. Anzu's body was covered-- someone had draped a Rare Hunters cloak over her, given her some dignity. He looked around, but everywhere outside of the spotlight was drenched in jet black darkness.

_Trying to hide from me? Idiots..._

Ryou stepped out of the shadows, standing at the other end of the spotlight. He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something. While Jouno's attention was diverted, Fluffy struck Jouno, knocking him down.

o o o

Malik straddled Yugi, pinning him facedown to the floor. Yugi's shirt had been torn off and now, Malik was having fun, carving gashes into the flesh of Little Yugi's back.

Using one of the Sennen Ring's pointers, Malik slashed down between the shoulder blades. The skin would part and the flesh would glare white for a moment before filling in red. Malik found it fascinating.

_-- cut the skin and taste the blood, cut the skin and taste the blood--_

He leaned down and his tongue delved into one of the deeper gashes. Yugi shuddered and grunted, crying, trying not to scream.

"Go ahead and scream. It'll be more fun."

"Keiko," whispered the cameraman. "Keiko..."

"Keep rolling." She watched intently, her widow's peak creased.

"Don't you think we should... you know... help?"

She looked at him. "We get the fucking story. Don't go soft on me now--" She stopped and looked up as Bakura ran past them.

Bakura threw himself at Malik-- in knocking him down, he managed to slam the Egyptian's head into the floor, dazing him. He seized Malik's arm and twisted until Malik screamed.

Bakura let go and swung back, then brought his arm around and struck Malik across the eyes, putting all his strength into it. He grabbed the front of Malik's shirt and shook him, knocking his head against the floor.

"Tell me who you are!"

Small hands gripped his shoulders. "Bakura, stop it!"

Bakura stared at Yugi, amazed. "How dense are you?"

"That's still Malik's body. You looked like you might kill him. Bakura, please, I don't want any more deaths."

"Get off of me." Malik's expression had gone blank. He squirmed under Bakura.

Bakura rested his hands on Malik's shoulders and put his weight into them, pinning Malik down. "What's the matter, you sick bitch? Don't like it so much when you're the helpless one, do you?"

Malik's breath was coming faster. He struggled harder. "Let go! LET GO!"

There was a flash of light and Bakura's mind was assaulted with strange, disjointed images. He fell backwards. Malik jumped to his feet and ran.

When he reached the door, he stopped just long enough to turn and say, "I'll kill you Saturday. I'll kill you all!" Then he was gone.

Yugi helped Bakura to his feet. "Daijoubu ka?"

Bakura rubbed his eyes. His forehead hurt. _"Nnh..."_ He sighed out a breath.

"Oh! Your nose is bleeding."

Bakura wiped away the dribble of blood, then wiped his hand on his shirt. He saw Keiko and her cameraman jogging off to follow Malik.

o o o

A hand caressed the side of Jouno's face.

Shuichi's voice: "Look at me... I want to talk to you..."

Jouno opened his eyes. He was laying just inside the spotlight, near Anzu's corpse. Shuichi was kneeling beside him. The back of ShuChan's hand was gently running down the side of Jouno's face. Jouno's arm jumped and his hand clamped down on ShuChan's forearm.

_... sssss..._

ShuChan grunted as his flesh was burned. He could feel blisters forming and hear them popping from the heat.

_"-- hhh..."_ He opened his eyes and smiled at Jouno. "It's alright."

"What?" Jouno let go and sat up, never looking away from ShuChan.

"You remember Yuki's family's temple? You liked it there, didn't you? How long had it been since you'd had any peace?"

o o o

_"HEY!"_

Bakura ran towards them. He grabbed Keiko's arm and forced her to look at him.

"Hey! Let go of my arm or you'll have such a lawsuit on your hands-- Ow!"

Bakura squeezed harder. "What the hell is wrong with you? You were gonna stand there and film it while Yugi got killed?"

"I'm a journalist, not a cop. Now let go."

Bakura let go of Keiko's arm... then slapped her hard enough to rock her upper body sharply to the side.

o o o

"I'm guessing you didn't mean to leave this behind." He showed Jouno the piece of cardstock.

Jouno gasped and wilted, lowering his head.

Shuichi leaned closer. "It'll be okay... I understand..."

Jouno's eyes widened and he glared at Shuichi. "You can't possibly understand--!"

ShuChan took hold of Jouno's wrists, maintaining eye contact. "Yes, I do. I was raped, too."

Jouno's features softened, the anger leaving him. ShuChan continued, "They held me down... and they took photos..."

Tears welled up in Jouno's eyes.

"The way you died was horrible. It's not surprising that you became a vengeful spirit... But you're taking your anger out on the wrong people."

Jouno sobbed and his head fell forward, his bangs concealing his face.

"Look at me." Touching just two fingers to Jouno's chin, ShuChan tilted the blonde's face up towards his. "This isn't you. You're not Jouno Wheeler, or Malik Ishtar, and you're not a character from a movie. You're a real person..."

Tears fell freely down Jouno's face. He shook with sobs, and his gaze happened upon Anzu's corpse. He saw her hair peeking out from under the top of the purple cloak.

Finally, he said, mostly to himself, "I don't know what the hell I'm doing..." He looked at ShuChan. "Help me."

ShuChan opened his arms, and Jouno went into his embrace, weeping, burying his face in ShuChan's chest.

Watching from the shadows, Ryou-tachi began to wonder if things would be alright now.

Malik came running in and slowed to a stop when he saw Jouno and ShuChan. "What the fucking hell are you doing?"

ShuChan thought Malik was asking him why he was hugging Jouno. He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, Jouno spoke:

"It's gonna be okay, now, Malik. He knows who we are."

Malik's facial features tightened. Before he could say or do anything, the glass doors, which had been chained, were beaten in with battering rams. In swarmed a swat team, led by Seto Kaiba.

**34**

**cut the skin and taste the blood**

**finish**


	35. Let Me Out

Kimyo: Sorry it took so long to update! I swear, I wasn't goofing off-- I was trying my hand at original work, which was frustrating...

Can you believe how long this has gotten? We're still going strong after 35 chapters, and it's only Day 5! This isn't a story anymore, it's a monster!

InsaneShadowFan, Happy ending? Truth be told, I fear I may be lynched when you see what's in store for these poor bastards...

OBSESSED Uber Rei, I often feel like someone's behind me, someone who just happens to resemble Sadamara. I dwell on all the creepy thoughts. (Why? Who knows.) For years, I also slept with the covers over my head. Now I just sleep with the lights on so that chick from _The Grudge_ won't get me.

Erin, no need to worry, the new chapter's here!

marikslildevil, I'll miss your reviews. The last one was so sweet. I smiled like a big idiot for hours. Maybe by the time you get back, this'll be finished!

Thanks for reviewing also go to bakuraxryou, Thee Bycth, KrystalMountain, MarikRules, SilverShadowFire, and Mana the Authoress!

**Chapter 35**

**Let Me Out**

Once they'd gotten some distance away, they stopped running. Malik turned towards Jouno and slapped him smartly across the face.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You almost lost it all for us, Wheeler!"

Jouno rubbed the hot pain on the side of his face. Malik took a few steps away, glaring around the alley. They were alone. Looking at Wheeler again, he was drawn in by tearful brown eyes, and, rushing forward, he took the other blonde into an embrace.

He spoke gently, words caressing Jouno's earlobe. "I'm sorry. This has always been our weakness, hasn't it? Someone shows us the slightest kindness, and we fall in love. We want someone to believe in so badly." He stroked Jouno's hair. "ShuChan... He's..." Malik shook his head, his brow furrowing. "I'm not sure what he is..."

o o o

Keiko was waiting in the hallway, thoroughly pissed off. They could hear her heels tapping as she paced. She was pissed because Kaiba had confiscated her footage from the entire day.

Kaiba, Yugi, Ryou, Bakura, ShuChan, K San, Hiro, and Fluffy were gathered around the large-screen TV. Although everyone else would've preferred to fast forward to the end, Kaiba insisted on watching the duel.

Yugi looked at Kaiba's face as he watched Jouno.

_I've never seen Kaiba glare at anyone with such intensity. He looks like he wants to go through the screen and attack Joey himself!_

"Kaiba..."

Seto didn't even twitch.

"It's not him. Joey's been taken over by an evil spirit."

Kaiba half spun and glowered at little Yugi. "Don't give me any of that fairy tale bullshit now, Yugi. And don't make excuses for Wheeler-- any fool can see he's lost his fucking mind!"

"Why are you so--" Yugi looked around. Meeting Kaiba's gaze again, he chose his words carefully. "Kaiba... Where's Mokuba?"

Every muscle in Kaiba's face began to dance. Finally, he turned his attention back to the TV screen. "Mokuba's fine." He watched in disgust as Malik turned Ra against Yugi. _He can't even handle his monsters. How pathetic!_

o o o

Hand in hand, they walked, not sure where they were going. It was Thursday, mid-afternoon.

Malik led the way. "We can't let our emotions override our sensibilities. We can't do what we want to do, or what we think is best..."

"We must simply take the correct course of action," Jouno finished.

"And what is the correct course of action?"

"To kill BakaChan and his friends." Jouno was feeling better now. He sniffled and let a grin play on his face. Glancing back, he saw his precious guard dogs following them. He willed them away so they wouldn't draw any more attention to themselves. "I feel better all of a sudden. Kinda peaceful..."

"We have to kill ShuChan."

The smile vanished and Jouno stopped, pulling Malik back. The Egyptian frowned. "I know he's beautiful. I know he's kind. But he's able to get into our minds and weaken us. If he gets to either of us again, we could fail." He caressed the sides of Jouno's face, his lavender eyes intent on Jouno's chocolate colored gaze. "We've waited too long for this. We can't lose now."

o o o

The angle was low and shaky as they ran through KaibaLand after Malik. They heard Keiko's off-camera voice: " The least you could've done is get a decent shot of it. I could've been the next Geraldo, for--"

They burst into the main lobby.

The camera focused on Malik: "What the fucking hell are you doing?"

"It's gonna be okay now, Malik. He knows who we are."

Everyone was glued to the screen as Kaiba and the swat team burst in. It had seemed like an eternity in real life, but on tape, it was over in a few seconds.

Head tilted to the side, Malik opened his mouth and seemed to shriek, but the sound that came out was not remotely human.

_"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH!"_

As he shrieked, members of the swat team fell over, dead before they hit the floor, their faces twisted in silent screams.

That done, Malik grabbed Jouno and they ran while everyone else was doubled over in agony.

Ryou frowned. _Everyone except the cameraman. I wonder if she chose not to affect him so he could capture it on film?_ He remembered ShuChan's words: _She wants them to see. She wants people to know._

Fluffy stepped closer. "Stop and rewind."

"Something's there," said Bakura. "Go back to right before Malik opened his mouth."

Yugi operated it, wondering what they could have seen.

"Now pause, and go frame by frame."

"Okay..." Yugi began to tap the pause button, eyes scanning the background. He could only guess that there was something on the floor that he'd missed, maybe even his Millennium Puzzle. He sucked in a huge gasp as the screen was suddenly filled with a black and white image, a closeup of a girl, her face frozen in a scream.

"It's her."

"Keep going."

Three more taps, and the image returned to normal.

"Keep going..."

After another fifty taps, they saw the image of the girl struggling under the plastic sheet. She thrashed her head back and forth--

"I said, keep it on pause," Bakura growled.

Yugi looked at everyone with wide eyes, sweat shining on his forehead. "It is paused."

The screen filled with the same words over and over:

_can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe_

can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe

can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe

can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe

can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe

LET ME OUT

The screen went black. They waited. Bakura jolted when he heard something familiar:

"Mommy."

The image faded in and focused. It was the doll from Bakura's nightmare, sitting amongst other dolls and stuffed animals atop a bookshelf headboard.

_That's not my bed._ In the dream, he had believed it to be his, but now that he was awake, he recognized it as Malik's.

Static faded to black, then came a message:

_I STILL LOVE YOU KAIBA_

**35**

**let me out**

**finish**

Kimyo: Voila! New chapter! Don't forget to review-- if you don't, I'll cry and be all like, "WHY DOES SHE HATE ME NOW?" Yep, I'm insane...


	36. Love Yourself

**Ring 36**

**Love Yourself**

They found Malik's FXDB Daytona right where he'd left it, outside the boutique in Tokyo. The cab driver didn't ask for money-- He recognized Malik from the telecast of the car chase, and couldn't drive off fast enough.

There were people milling about as if nothing had happened. Malik was displeased.

_Stupid people. Can't they just go away?_ Approaching his beloved motorcycle, he managed to cheer up.

"See? I told you it'd be here." He straddled it and smiled at Jouno. "I remember seeing a motorcycle for the first time as a little kid in Egypt..." He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Jouno climbed on and wrapped his arms around his partner, and they disembarked.

o o o

Bakura rewound to the first shot of the girl and paused, then turned to Kaiba. "Tell us everything you know about this girl."

Kaiba arched an eyebrow. "I don't have time for this. I'm going after Wheeler." He stalked to the door. "Get out, and take that worthless tape with you."

They went after him. Yugi jumped in Kaiba's path. "Please, Kaiba, we have to work together."

Kaiba grabbed the front of Yugi's shirt and tossed him aside. No sooner had he rid himself of Yugi than Bakura, Fluffy, KSan, and Hiro were surrounding him.

Bakura got right in his face. "You know more than you're letting on, Priest. Stop wasting my time."

o o o

Malik turned his motorcycle off, then he and Jouno climbed off and walked it inside, so the roar of its engine wouldn't echo off of the concrete walls. Malik found the secret lever that opened the door, and they went into the main lobby of the Tetra.

The hotel manager, an elegant older woman, greeted Malik warmly, recognizing him as a guest. She then took notice of Jouno. "And this is...?"

Malik drew Jouno close and they stood cheek to cheek, smiling at her. "This is the other half of me."

"Ah." She smiled and nodded. "Is there anything you'll be needing this evening?"

Jouno piped in, "I could go for something to eat."

"Later."

"But I'm so hungry. I think it's this body..."

Malik dragged Jouno off towards the elevators. "We'll be fine, we'd just like to not be disturbed, if that's alright."

"Yes Sir."

Once they were alone in the elevator, Malik glared at Jouno.

The blonde puppy wilted. "Sorry..."

A smile broke out on Malik's face. "I'm just messing with you. It's okay." He gathered Jouno in his arms. "Besides, we're all we've got. We shouldn't fight."

Jouno closed his eyes and leaned into Malik's embrace.

They were quiet, each basking in the sheer euphoria of having a warm body near.

Jouno's hand found the bare skin between Malik's waistband and midi, and his palm ran in lazy circles over the grooves. Malik sighed and held Jouno a little tighter, kissing softly along his neck and jawline. He kissed a trail to Jouno's lips and took the lower one, sucking on it. Jouno kissed him back, running his tongue along Malik's lip, tilting his head and delving in to a deep, hot french kiss. Malik arched his body, curling against Jouno as he gripped handfuls of Jouno's trenchcoat.

_"Mmh."_

Realizing what they were doing, Malik broke the kiss and shoved Jouno away. They stared at each other with wide eyes for a seemingly endless time.

The elevator's doors opened, and they left it. They went into a quiet alcove to talk.

"I'm sorry," said Malik. "I shouldn't have done that."

Jouno had lifted his arms and clasped hands behind his head. "Why not? Was it not good?"

"It's not that. But... Didn't you... I mean, technically, we're the same person. Doesn't that bother you?"

"I haven't given much thought to who we really are. It tends to confuse." He closed in and took Malik's hand, interlacing their fingers. "I'm me, and you're you. If these bodies are attracted to each other..."

Malik met Jouno's gaze. "I suppose it's no stranger than Malik having a relationship with Fluffy."

Smiling, Jouno moved closer, leaning in for a kiss. Malik accepted him.

o o o

All that could be heard was the _click, tap_ of Eiri Yuki's laptop computer. He had a deadline for his new book. Since ShuChan wasn't there to distract him, the work was going smoothly. The ashen tip of the cigarette in his mouth glowed as he took a drag. He stopped typing long enough to tap away excess ashes in the tray on the couch cushion beside him, his eyes scanning the paragraph he'd just typed.

He didn't take notice of Ayaka, who was sitting on the opposite couch, watching him.

Their families had arranged for Ayaka to wed Yuki, but Yuki had rejected her, choosing to be with Shuichi. Some time after that, she'd begun to date ShuChan's best friend Hiro, hoping to forget her love for Eiri.

_The love has finally begun to dull... but a certain sadness remains. I'll always have feelings for you, Eiri, just as Hiro will always love Shindo San._

The only indication of her thoughts was a small crease at her widow's peak.

There was a knock at the door, and Ayaka stood up. "I'll answer it."

She opened the door to Malik and Jouno.

Malik smirked. "Forgot my card key."

She was about to step aside and let Malik and his friend in, when Jouno's arm flew out and snatched Ayaka's wrist. He pulled her out and threw her against the opposite wall with sufficient force to knock her unconscious. They went into the suite and locked the door.

Going into the livingroom, they intercepted Eiri, who'd been running to see what the loud noise had been. He froze when he saw Malik and Jouno, the cold, cruel smiles on their faces.

Jouno looked Eiri over, not hiding the lust in his eyes. "Let's play with him, first."

"You read my mind." Malik licked his lips.

o o o

He was cornered and he knew it.

Letting a long breath out through his nose, Kaiba's shoulders lowered as he went slack.

Yugi tried to sound nonconfrontational, even though they were circling him in case he tried to run. Holding the piece of cardstock for him to see, he asked, "Kaiba... Do you know who this girl is?"

Kaiba didn't need to answer. Regret was etched upon his face as he turned away from the photograph.

"It doesn't matter who she is..."

Everyone waited for him to continue.

Instead of saying any more, he threw himself backwards, breaking away from the group, and, bursting out into the hall, disappeared.

**36**

**love yourself**

**finish**

Kimyo: I thought about waiting a day or two, so I'd get more reviews, but fuck it! I wanted to update!

OBSESSED Uber Rei, you can sleep with the lights on if you're tired enough. When I'm not, I just use the closet light. Aren't I wicked with the cliffhangers?

Thanks for reviewing, Lily Bob and YamiTyger!

I also got reviews from a couple of new readers-- dragonlady 222 and Hellfire Kagome. They reviewed at chapters 1 and 2. Whenever I see an early review, I chuckle to myself and think, 'I wonder if she'll be able to handle all the fucked up gut-wrenching horror that lies ahead?' Should I thank people who review so early and may not read through to the current chapter? Lots of the time, someone will review for the first chapter, then seem to disappear. I have to wonder if they got to the baby part in chapter 3, or Mokuba's death, and couldn't hack it. OK, I'm babbling. Sorry...


	37. Rape the Boys and Make them Die

Kimyo: So anyway, I tried to register at a website, but they told me the name Kimyo was already taken. This is, like, the third time this has happened. I had to think up a new name fast, so I took High Priestess Kimyo, like High Priest Seto. I gave myself a promotion!

Thanks once again for many kind reviews!

Yami Hitokiri, if I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere (there are so many versions of this story that I can't remember where) that the girl was raped before being thrown down the well, but it doesn't happen that way in the movie.

DragonLady 222 read through to the current chapter! Woot! You're so cool! Keep reading!

bakuraxryou, I totally care if you die! In fact, when readers don't review, I start to worry about them. I'm just insane that way. :)

Thanks also go to MarikRules, OBSESSED Uber Rei, InsaneShadowFan, and Mana the Authoress! If this story's making you twitch, try chamomile tea!

**Ring 37**

**Rape the Boys and Make them Die**

Ryou noticed how Yugi was staring at the photograph. "What is it, Yugi?"

Something hit him, and he jumped out of his skin. "Can someone give me a ride to the Game Shop?"

KSan stepped forward. "No problem. And if that bitch shows up..." He brandished and cocked a machine gun. "I'll be ready."

They left. Fluffy and Bakura didn't notice-- they were standing in a corner, talking.

"Okay," said Fluffy, "what do we know?"

"She's not a movie character. Why does she imitate Sadamara's M.O.?"

Fluffy shrugged. _"Ringu_ otaku? Maybe--" He shook his head. "No."

"What?"

"I thought maybe she needed a proper burial, but that didn't even work in the movie."

"Maybe if we burn all copies of her footage, she'll lose her power."

Fluffy nodded. "What happened to that tape Malik made?"

"As far as I know, it's still at Kaiba's. We may find it in the den."

"What about Kaiba?"

"He left in a fucking helicopter. I doubt we can find him." Bakura crossed his arms and thought for a second. "She dueled masterfully against Yugi. She even defeated Egyptian gods."

"Someone that skilled must have been invited to Battle City."

"No, she would've made it to the finals. But she did know Kaiba. Our best bet would be to return to his estate and look around." Bakura walked to the coat stand by the door and put on his Rare Hunters cloak.

"Fluffy and I are leaving."

"What?" Ryou hurried over to him.

"Where are you going?"

"We'll be back soon enough."

"Let us go with you."

"You'll be safer here." He nodded at Hiro. "Protect them."

Hiro nodded back. Ryou told Bakura, "Be careful."

Bakura touched Ryou's chin and looked into his eyes. "I'll take care of this." Then he and Fluffy left ShuChan and Ryou with Hiro.

They'd been gone less than five minutes when the phone rang. Hiro answered it.

"Moshi moshi..." His eyebrow arched. "... Malik."

ShuChan and Ryou jumped up and closed in.

"Put me on speaker phone," said Malik. "... ShuChan? Can you hear me?"

"I'm here."

"How's it going? You haven't been wasting time helping BakaChan, have you?"

Ryou said, "Why are you doing all of this?"

ShuChan put an arm around him to calm him. "Malik, you and Jouno don't have to go along with this. Don't--"

Over the speaker came a loud _sssssssst_ and, after a few seconds, Yuki cried out in pain.

"Yuki? Yuki!"

"He's alot of fun. Jouno and I have been enjoying him quite a bit."

Ryou cried, "You leave him alone!"

Looking up, he found that ShuChan was already gone.

o o o

The bellhop stood alone amongst the garbage piled high outside the Tetra, cell phone to his ear.

"... They've been here 'bout an hour. I can take you straight to their room and let you in. When do I get the money?"

The voice on the other end came loud enough to make the bellhop jolt, as Kaiba was shouting over the helicopter.

"I'll move the money to your account after Wheeler's in my grasp!"

o o o

Eiri Yuki lay facedown, pinned to the floor in the middle of the livingroom. Jouno was straddling the small of his back, and Malik was sitting nearby, watching. Yuki's shirt had been removed, and his upper body was covered with thermographic handprints. Jouno pressed his palms into Yuki's skin again, burning him more.

_"Nnh!"_

Jouno smirked. "I just totally get off on boys in pain..."

"Hearing them groan and cry..." Malik concurred. "They deserve it."

Jouno caught sight of the cord in Malik's hands. "What are you doing?"

"Making a noose."

o o o

Grandpa perked up when Yugi burst into the Game Shop. "Hello--!"

"Hi Grandpa!"

He ran through and bounded up the stairs to his bedroom. Curious, Grandpa walked over and peered up the stairwell. He heard Yugi throwing things around. A few seconds later, Yugi came down the stairs again, in such a hurry that he lost his footing and had to grip the handrail to keep from falling. He ran through, clutching a magazine.

"Bye Grandpa!"

The door's bell jangled. Grandpa watched Yugi jump into a taxi with KSan and vanish down the street.

KSan snapped his cell phone shut. "There's trouble." To the cabbie: "We're going to the Tetra."

Yugi blinky-blinked. "Huh? What's the Tetra?"

KSan held up the cell phone. "Just got a call from Hiro. Malik and Jouno are there." He took notice of the magazine.

Yugi was flipping through it. "I had a feeling I'd seen her before, and now I remember where-- it was in one of my gamer's magazines. She came to Japan to work for Kaiba Corporation. She disappeared shortly before Battle City..."

He found the page he was looking for, and held it up, showing KSan a photo of a rather bratty-looking blonde girl holding a teddy bear.

"Her name was Rebecca Hawkins."

**37**

**rape the boys and make them die**

**finish**

Kimyo: Did anyone see _that_ coming?


	38. No Way in Hell

KimyouTeki: Yay! Finally, a new chapter! Sorry it took so very long. Since this site's recent overhaul, I'm no longer able to post chapters using my webtv. I haven't been able to get to the library because my niece is home for summer vacation. I've also been busy with other projects. I hope to set up a webshoppe and sell some original comics, and I'm also planning to enter the Tokyopop Rising Stars of Manga contest, which I've lost four times now!

This chapter isn't very long, and there's still so much more to this story. I really do fear it... I think it might actually make it to chapter fifty or sixty. O.OU I've been fighting the temptation to start writing the sequel, too. XD

BTW, you can go check on the progress of my fics on my profile page, and see future fics and plot bunnies. If I'm unable to update, or hit any delays, I'll write about them there, so you'll know what's up.

**38**

**No Way in Hell**

It was raining again, a soft drizzle.

Neither of them tried to shout over the helicopter. Jouno gazed at Kaiba from the passenger's seat, and a fresh wave of adoration washed over him.

_This feels so right, the two of us together-- No need to ruin the moment with words. No Mokuba--_

_-- SKREE--_

-- He saw Mokuba's corpse in his mind, the flesh mottled and rotting--

The vision came so suddenly that he sucked in a breath, his brow creased. Then the image was gone, and Jouno smiled.

_That's right, Mokuba, you're dead. I chopped your fucking head off. There's no way in hell you can take Kaiba from me now._

Looking around, he saw fields below. He looked at Kaiba's face. Kaiba was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable.

"Kaiba?"

They stopped moving forward and began to land.

"Where are we, Kaiba?"

No sooner had they hit the ground with a jolt than Kaiba killed the engine and disembarked. Jouno watched him walk around to the passenger's side. Once there, he undid Jouno's seatbelt, then took the blonde's hand to help him down. All the while, his expression stayed cold.

Kaiba didn't stop Jouno from embracing him.

_"Mmh..."_ Jouno sighed happily and drew their bodies closer together, delighting in the feel of Kaiba's body heat. His lips found Kaiba's collarbone and he began kissing along it. His arms tightened around Kaiba's slim waist. _"Mmh..."_

He heard Kaiba's voice above him. "Is this all you wanted?"

Jouno nodded, not looking up. "Yes. You're all I ever wanted. You're all I need, Seto Kaiba."

"And Mokuba..."

Jouno frowned. "Forget him. Don't say that name anymore."

He giggled and squeezed Kaiba tighter. "I knew it. I knew you'd love me in this body... Oh, Kaiba... You're trembling..."

Jouno felt the drizzle intensify to a heavy downpour. Within a few seconds, they were drenched. Jouno barely heard Kaiba growl:

_"There's no way in hell I can love you now."_

Jouno's eyes opened as he realized what had been said. Pulling out of the embrace, he could only offer Kaiba a questioning gaze.

Kaiba's icy cerulean eyes narrowed and Jouno felt daggers. Hearing the _click,_ he noticed the pistol in Kaiba's hand.

He blinked against the rain and swallowed hard. "Would that even work in all this?"

Kaiba's mouth twitched in a brief imitation of a smirk. "Let's find out." He fired.

Shrieking, Jouno whirled and ran for some nearby trees. The most prominent emotion, crowding out even survival instinct, was sadness that Kaiba had done such a thing--

Another gunshot.

Pain erupted in Jouno's side and he fell to his knees, then landed face first in the mud.

Kaiba walked over and used his foot to turn Jouno onto his back. Jouno's unconscious face was pelted with tiny pieces of hail.

Kaiba knelt, not caring about the mud and ice. He buried the muzzle of the gun under Jouno's jawline.

"This is for Mokuba, you sick fuck!"

His finger trembled as he braced himself to pull the trigger.

Jouno gasped awake, his eyes wild and afraid.

_"Kaiba..."_ His features slowly contorted into a grimace of despair as he shook with quiet sobs. Kaiba was disconcerted at this sight.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I saw what I was doing and I couldn't stop... It was a nightmare..." Tears flowed and mingled with the icy rain.

Kaiba lost his nerve and the hand holding the gun began to pull back.

Seeing this, Jouno grabbed Kaiba's hand.

_"What are you--!"_

One last gunshot.

o o o

They were unable to find the videotape.

Bakura snorted, hands on hips. _Malik must have taken it with him. It could be anywhere._

A low, resigned growl came from behind him. "We're screwed, aren't we?"

He walked past Fluffy to the far walls. He began knocking on the wooden panels. One sounded hollow, so he pushed it and it popped inwards with a _click,_ then slowly swung out and open. Through it they saw a spiral staircase made of stone.

"The rich always have something to hide."

It was mid-afternoon, but lack of windows made the area black as night. They found a couple of flashlights before they went in.

The staircase was cold, dank, and slippery, and there was no handrail, so they had to be careful. At one point, Bakura's foot slid, and Fluffy had to catch him. After an awkward moment, Bakura shoved him away and hurried ahead.

At the bottom of the spiral staircase they found a door. Upon entering, the two found themselves standing in the mud room they'd seen on TV.

In the middle of the floor was a shallow hole, unmistakably a grave.

"This is where she died."

Bakura pointed his flashlight's beam at the ceiling. "Care to venture a guess as to what's above our heads right now?"

No reply.

Bakura turned to where Fluffy had been standing, but he was alone now.

_... eeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEE..._

All Bakura could hear now was the ringing; however, he felt no fear.

He looked at the grave, which was now a mound.

_You're here..._

He got to his knees and set the flashlight on the ground, pointed at the burial mound.

_... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..._

No words, but behind the sound, a plea.

_Find me._

Bakura's fingers sank into the mud and began scooping it away. He slowly uncovered a tiny human form. There was a plastic bag duct taped over its head.

He went to uncover her completely, working down the arms--

Rebecca's hand jumped and clutched Bakura's arm. He heard a girl screaming and instinctively looked up to see a circle of light. His mind was instantly assaulted with a string of images.

_dragged down here_

_couldn't fight them_

_beaten_

_raped_

_spit on_

_pissed on_

_laughed at_

_plastic_

_mud_

_trapped in the darkness_

_can't move_

_can't breathe_

_let me out!_

_LET ME OUT!_

"Let me out!"

Terrified, Bakura thrashed about, gasping for breath. He dimly became aware that he was laying on a cold floor and someone was over him, shaking him by the arms.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the circle of light. It was an overhead light fixture.

Fluffy leaned into his vision. "What the hell happened?"

Seeing this, Bakura was instantly reminded of a scene from _Ringu._

_In Sadako's cursed tape, the first image is the view from the bottom of the well, at a man who is looking down. But why do I see Kaiba's face?_

_Could he have...?_

o o o

Kaiba sat in shock, his helicopter flying over Domino on auto-pilot.

_I was angry. I wanted to hurt him._

_We fought over the gun and it went off._

_I saw him like that and felt..._

_I don't know what to do._

_He killed Mokuba._

_He raped and murdered my baby brother._

_My blonde._

_My mutt._

"Wheeler."

**38**

**no way in hell**

**finish**

KimyouTeki: It sucked not being able to update. I felt so anxious all the time, and have been having so many ideas that I don't know what to write first. What do they call the opposite of writer's block?

I had two more dreams about Sadamara. In one, I was in a strange room when the TV turned on and she came to the screen, but instead of coming out to kill me, we laughed together. In the second dream, I was in my kitchen. My mom and I were making breakfast. I looked out the window and saw Sadamara standing next to a tree across the street. I looked away, then back, and she was gone. I looked away and when I looked back again, she was standing there, facing me. I couldn't make out her face, but she pointed at me.

Before I started writing this chapter, I put _The Ring_ on to get me in the mood to write. I started by watching the cursed feature, the same one Ryou and Bakura watch in chapter one. After it ends, it goes back to the menu, and after a brief pause, you hear the phone ring, the same phone from the cabin. I've seen this mini-feature many times. The last time I watched it, and only on that single occasion, _the phone did not ring._ This is a DVD. It can't be programmed to play differently, can it? What does all this mean?

I got alot of reviews-- the most ever:D

SilverFoxes-BlackWolves, I know Duke's Japanese name is Otogi, but I think it sounds dorky, and I think it's funny how Jouno called him "Dookie" in the dub, so I left it as Duke. Not that it really matters-- he's dead and he ain't coming back, just like that cunt Anzu. Actually, I like her, but I believe in giving the readers what they want!

KrystalMountain, Sorry you wasted your time searching for my uncut story. It's published, but for some reason it doesn't show up on any of the search engines I submitted to, not even Google. It's pretty much impossible to find, unless you know the exact URL. Please, don't anyone ask where it is. If I tell you, I could get deleted from this site.

Melika Nosaki Nollie, you had nightmares? Were they interesting:3

Star Goddess Z, we'll see. In the meantime, you might want to add me to your author alerts so you can be one of the first to read the sequel when it comes out! ;)

bakuraxryou, no problem. Were you worried about me in my absence?

Yami Tyger, you must have a heart of stone. You're the only reviewer who said she saw it coming! I've read some Stephen King, too. _Misery_ was the first novel I ever read. People say his stuff is weird, but I never noticed anything odd...

Annie loves it, sorry I didn't show Shuichi and Yuki this chapter, but hopefully next update.

marikslildevil, how's Poland? Hope the people are nice and hope you can read this!

Erin, I think I'll tell that to the next person who asks what's wrong with me. X)

Yami Hitokiri, yep, in the official storyline, Rebecca shows up as a snotty brat and challenges Yugi to a duel. Afterwards, he gives her the card called "The Ties of Friendship", and it melts Rebecca's heart. However, things go very differently here. In this AU, Duelist Kingdom never happened. Yugi doesn't have the card, and Rebecca came not to see him, but to join KaibaCorp as a computer expert and beta tester for Kaiba's gaming technology. Instead of a gift from Yugi, she got a horrible death and became a vengeful spirit. I'll be writing more about her in the sequel. I don't know her real age, but I imagine her being 11 or 12.

Lily Bob, the answer to your question is misdirected rage. Rebecca's anger is justified, but she's taking it out on the wrong people.

Thanks for reviewing also go to Miss Ryuuku, 0kurayami0, Envy's Slave Girl, Hellfire Kagome, MarikRules, cgflower, the nameless, Pihorist, Mana the Authoress, InsaneShadowFan, SilverShadowFire, Kurai Phoenix, and dragonlady 222!

One more thing. Before you ask, there's a reason the phone rang at Bakura and Ryou's house, even though they hadn't gone to Kaiba's place yet. I'll explain that later on. There's more to tell, so hope you are all still reading and will read to the end!


	39. Half a Heart

Kimyo: Hello, time for a new chapter!

I don't think this one is very scary, either, but hopefully it is good. I like to think that I'm building up to something. I have alot of blank files loaded into my document manager, waiting to be filled with future chapters. One of them is labeled "YamiTyger's Scary Chapter".

This chapter is dedicated to InsaneShadowFan!

**Thirty-Nine  
Half a Heart**

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

The Tetra had changed.

ShuChan stopped in his tracks upon entering what had been the lobby. The people and furniture were gone, and it was very dark. He could barely make out the structure of the room-- a long wide corridor with intersecting halls. Taking the first step, his foot skidded and he fought to keep his balance. The floor was muddy. All he could hear was the ringing and his shallow breathing. He calmed himself and slowed his breathing, then marched down the corridor as fast as he could without losing his footing.

_Hold on, Yuki... I'm coming to save you!_

_skree, skreee... SKREE, SKREEE..._

A blinding light filled the room. ShuChan shielded his eyes against it at first. When he was able to look, he saw _The Ring_ playing on the walls-- Samara's cursed feature, to be exact. The images seemed to be projected-- There were dozens of the same images covering all the walls-- but there was no apparent source.

_Feels like I'm in a funhouse,_ he thought with a nervous smile. Staring atthe box full of severed fingertips, he realized something.

_A little bland!_

This was it? Compared to earlier, this was downright boring. It seemed like Malik and Jouno had put out much more effort at KaibaLand. Something was wrong.

_Something's wrong with her,_ he thought. ShuChan was kind-hearted and felt sympathy for her and her tragic death in spite of everything Rebecca had done.

The ringing swelled and ShuChan lowered his head, wincing. As he did so, he got the mental image of Malik crying, whimpering, in pain. Jouno was gone.

_Please... Please..._

_You still want my help, don't you?_

He was certain of it-- Rebecca didn't want to hurt him or Yuki. She was a ghost, and ghosts are sad souls who need help so they can move on.

_I'm positive..._ but he couldn't stop himself from speeding to a clumsy bolt for the elevators when Samara came out of the well.

o o o

Hiro was sitting by the phone, drinking coffee and reading the paper. Ryou looked up as the door opened, and was greatly relieved to see his yami enter, followed by Fluffy.

"BakuChan!" Before Bakura could respond, he was almost knocked off balance by Ryou's over enthusiastic embrace. He blushed, it felt so good to be hugged.

By this time, Hiro had wandered over and watched as Fluffy unfurled his Rare Hunters cloak and hanged it up again. He turned towards Hiro and smiled, showing off his craggy teeth. "We're gonna die."

When Bakura spoke, his tone was unmistakably sarcastic. "Why don't we just--" He stopped himself and his expression changed, as if he'd had an epiphany. He frowned at the ceiling, suddenly lost in thought.

Hiro chuckled. "Rebecca called right after you left to announce that she'd taken Yuki hostage."

Bakura glared at him and Fluffy mumbled, "Damn..."

Hiro laughed and smiled. "Shuichi's a fighter and he gets the most energetic when Yuki's involved. To be honest, I think we should fear for Rebecca's safety."

o o o

Yugi and K San's cab was at a stop light.

K San had tried to call ahead, but there had been no answer at the Tetra. He sat at the other end of the backseat, cleaning his rifle and perfecting his agitated sneer.

Yugi's hands were sweating and crinkling the magazine. He couldn't stop staring at the photo of Rebecca Hawkins, wondering how she could've changed so much, feeling such pity for her--

Someone suddenly knocked on Yugi's window, and he jumped. Heart still racing, he lowered the window and a mic was shoved in his face.

"Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi, Nine O'Clock News! Can I get a statement?"

Yugi stared like a deer in the headlights, but K San leaned over and smiled at Keiko. "Fuck off, Vulture."

Keiko spoke quickly as the window tried to shut her out. "Mr. Mutou, how do you feel about your former best friend clinging to life?"

Yugi stayed K San's hand and rolled the window back down. "What?"

o o o

ShuChan stepped out of the elevator, into what was supposed to be the hall leading to their suite. It seemed like the hallway had been cut into solid rock-- there were no doors or windows, no interruptions in the smooth muddy surface. Everything was cold and dank. The image projected on the walls was of Sadako standing over the well, looking into it. She seemed pensive and depressed, as if she were contemplating jumping in.

_This is how Rebecca feels right now,_ he noted before walking on to the room.

Nearing the suite, he saw Ayaka. She was against the wall, still unconscious. ShuChan checked her pulse and it was strong, so he left her where she was and turned towards the door. He took a deep breath, then grabbed the doorknob and went in.

The next room was concrete, just as solid and unyielding as the mud in the other rooms had been. Black sludge oozed down the walls. At the far end was a door, and leaning against it was Malik. He seemed to be bracing himself against the door for support, as if he no longer had the strength to stand. He smiled half-heartedly. "I knew you'd come."

"Tell me where Yuki is."

Malik stayed where he was, his expression grim, a cold sweat glistening on his skin. "I could kill you where you stand." His voice was weak, about as scary as an old woman investigating a strange noise in the middle of the night who squeaks, _I've-- I've got a gun!_

ShuChan felt no true malice. "I know."

Malik began to shake. He was hugging himself. He tilted his head back and gazed upwards, his face wet with tears.

ShuChan got closer, stepping slowly. "Do you remember what we talked about at KaibaLand? You asked me to help you..."

"No one can help me now." A sob caught in his throat and his expression became pained as he slumped to sit on the floor. "Just a few hours ago everything was so clear, _so clear..._ But it's all pointless now. He hates me. Kaiba..." Tears rolled freely down the Egyptian's face. "He said he could never love me... Then he shot me."

ShuChan stood just out of reach now. _Shit. Yuki's somewhere dying right now!_

Malik abruptly stopped crying. "I know."

"Huh?"

"You didn't come to see me, you came to see your lover. Yuki." He got to his feet and met Shuichi's gaze straight on. He spoke bluntly, describing his master plan.

"I thought that if I killed the person you loved most, then you'd have to love me instead. But it didn't work. I killed Mokuba so Kaiba wouldn't have to worry about him and take care of him anymore. He hated me for it. I was-- My theory was wrong."

ShuChan felt cautious hope.

"But Yuki might already be dead." No sooner had the word _dead_ left Malik's lips than ShuChan had grabbed the front of his shirt in both fists and shoved him against the door, shaking it.

"Let Yuki go! You know this is a mistake, do something right for once!"

"I'll let you see him." Malik's wicked smile had returned, in spite of his red, swollen eyes. He was getting some control back now. ShuChan let him go and he opened the door he'd been leaning against.

"Yuki!"

Malik held ShuChan back. "I can kill you both before you reach him." No weakness in his voice now-- just the simple fact.

From the ceiling hung a noose, tightened around Yuki's neck. Yuki was on a chair, and the only way he could keep the noose from strangling him was by standing on tiptoes. Already weak from assault, Yuki shook as he struggled to keep his balance. His chest was covered with Jouno's thermographic handprints, and sweat shone all over his skin. His eyes glittered with a desperate, frantic light.

"Oh, good," said Malik, his voice exuding an eerie calmness, "He's still alive. Stop struggling."

ShuChan struggled harder. "What the hell are you thinking--!"

"I'll let you save him."

ShuChan stopped struggling. Malik was behind him, arms crisscrossing his chest. ShuChan felt a warm exhalation, then a soft kiss against the hollow where his neck and shoulder met. A deep murmurr brushed ShuChan's earlobe:

"You can save him, but then you'll have to say goodbye. From now on, you'll be my companion. My lover."

"I don't..."

"I don't care." Malik leaned against ShuChan, hugging him.

"You don't have to love me back. Just be kind and accept my love. That's all I ask."

He smirked.

"Or, you can say no, and we can watch him die."

o o o

Hiro was actually whistling as he drove. Ryou was amazed.

"He has so much confidence in ShuChan," he said to Bakura, who was seated at the window beside him. They were holding hands. Ryou smiled at his yami.

_Bakura's been kinder since all this started. He seems to be genuinely concerned for me._

Fluffy, who sat at Ryou's other side, began whistling along with Hiro.

o o o

The throngs of newsreporters kept their distance as K San brandished his assault rifle back and forth. He and Yugi rushed into the emergency room as the sun sank on the fifth day.

Yugi ran to the admittance desk as fast as his little legs would carry him.

"Excuse me," he said, "but I was told that someone dropped Jouno Wheeler off here. Please, tell me where he is and how he's doing?"

**39  
half a heart  
finish**

Kimyo: Hope you enjoyed!

SilverFoxes-BlackWolves, I love getting long reviews, so don't be shy about it. I also love when reviewers get excited enough to go nuts with the caps button. It feels like I've done a good job!

Yami hitokiri, I actually had planned to do a sequel wherein Ryou and Yami (this was before he died, of course) would travel around collecting the dragonballs and wish everyone back to life! Then I thought maybe Sailor Moon could show up and use her silver millennium crystal (see? another millennium item!) to bring everyone back from the dead. I've since scrapped both of these ideas. But the sequel is coming soon, so look forward to seeing what I do!

Thanks for reviewing also go to Thee Bycth, InsaneShadowFan, Grave Flower, KrystalMountain, bakuraxryou, dragonlady222, Envy's slave girl, mana-the-authoress, marikslildevil, and also the one who simply typed, "laughing... no ring... she likes you."


	40. Crimson World

KimyouTeki: I had hoped to make this chapter longer, but one of my pet rats died this week and I got depressed. She was old, and I saw it coming, but I was still surprised at how sad I got. I cried alot for a couple of days. On the plus side, however, the rat I still have, Yoshi, is fat and healthy and lively, and we've been nicer to each other since Hiroshi died.

I posted this chapterbecause although it isn't as long as I'd planned to make it, I still think it's good and I didn't want to make you wait another whole week. It seems that my Writin' Mojo has been elusive, but I think I'm getting better. I hope... Please let me know, okay?

PS: Never fear, Pihorist, this chapter does **not** end with a wicked cliffhanger.

**Forty  
Crimson World**

By the time they disembarked on Malik's Harley, the sky was darkening.

Shuichi held tight, his arms around Malik's waist. They were on the highway, weaving carelessly between larger vehicles, speeding ahead. Malik didn't seem to notice all the motorists honking and yelling at him. Ahead and to their right, the sun had set behind the buildings. The horizon was fluorescent orange. Overhead, the sky was a rich, deep blue. Shuichi couldn't turn much, but back and to the left, the sky was blackening.

The horizon soon lost its orange glow, and cold night mist whipped past, chilling Shuichi. He curled against Malik, trying to warm up, wondering where Malik intended to take him. He soon got his answer.

The highway gave to quiet side streets through residential neighborhoods. The houses became fewer and further between, then gave way to a narrow road in a densely wooded area, with only an occasional bus stop. The Harley turned onto a driveway and rolled up to the gates of Kaiba's lake house.

Walking up, they found at the bottom of the steps a corpse that had been mauled by wild animals. ShuChan couldn't make out any features, or even limbs. He could tell by the size, however, that it must've been a man. He clamped his free hand over the lower half of his face, trying not to panic or throw up. Malik pulled ShuChan along by his other hand, up the steps and into the house.

All the doors and windows on the first floor were open, so it was just as cold inside as it was outside. Actually, it seemed to be colder due to the house's stone and marble structure. Malik led ShuChan, their footfalls echoing through the dead house.

They passed by another mauled corpse in the hall-- another security guard. Eyes wide, ShuChan couldn't stop staring at the rendered flesh. It was torn completely away from one of the calves, leaving only the glaring white bone. He jumped when Malik suddenly started talking.

"Fortunate that it's winter. The cold preserves the flesh. Keeps the bodies from rotting and stinking up the place." He began to take Shuichi upstairs, and his voice echoed off the white marble in the stairwell. "I'll most likely drag them to a corner of the courtyard and burn them later, so don't let it concern you."

o o o

The grandfather clock in Kaiba's master bedroom chimed midnight. Shuichi was in Kaiba's bed, down comforter drawn tight around his nude form. Malik lay beside him, eyes closed, a small swath of the silk sheets drawn over his privates. When ShuChan had suggested they close the windows, Malik had said it was too hot.

ShuChan turned onto his side and regarded Malik.

The evening had been like their honeymoon. Malik had led Shuichi straight to bed, and they had spent the past hours exploring and worshipping each others' bodies. ShuChan had had misgivings, but...

_... But as long as you're here with me, and you're happy, you're not out killing people, right?_

o o o

As Malik's body slept, Rebecca's spirit explored. Tethered to her Egyptian host, she took flight and found herself high over Domino City. Stars twinkled above her, and the city lights glowed below. She only vaguely noted the beauty around her-- she was searching.

She relaxed and cleared her mind, letting some unseen force pull her along, taking her to Kaiba.

Deep down, she'd known where she'd find him, but she didn't want to believe it. After everything that had happened, it would be insuch bad taste!

But it was true. There was Kaiba, trotting up the walkway to KaibaCorp Labs. Rebecca was filled with utter disgust.

Kaiba opened the gates and entered the complex. Before the main building, perched majestically on a pedestal in the center of a fountain, was a Blue Eyes White Dragon, its jaws frozen in a silent roar. Walking around it, he approached the bank of glass doors at the front of the main building. Rebecca floated down and alighted in Kaiba's path, glaring at him.

Kaiba's steps faltered for a moment, and he looked in her direction, but he didn't stop. Rebecca didn't realize it, but all Kaiba had seen was an odd little whirlwind where she stood. He passed her by.

"Kaiba!"

He stopped.

"Kaiba, what are you doing here?"

He turned and looked around, not seeing her even though she was right in front of him. "Where are you?"

_I get it... He can't see me because he's too close-minded. What a jackass._ "Your brother and lover were just killed, but hey, it's still 'Back to Work'? How can you be so cold, Kaiba? Are you even human?"

Kaiba was still searching his surroundings. "I refuse to speak to cowards who don't even have the courage to show their faces! Get out here this instant!"

"I'm right here." As she approached, Kaiba felt a sudden drop in temperature-- it had been cold before, but now, he was chilled through all his layers of clothes, straight to the bone, and his breath came out in white plumes as his eyes darted, trying to find some trickster hiding in the shadows, seeing nothing.

All at once, his eyes met Rebecca's. He froze, transfixed.

Her image was soft and gauzy. "You can see me."

His eyes wide with shock, he began to back away, slowly shaking his head.

"Wait!"

He turned and ran into the building.

Rebecca didn't need to give chase. _Just like when I was alive... Always running away..._

Inside, Kaiba strode across the dim, empty lobby to the elevators lining the back wall. He'd already convinced himself thatthe encounter had been some sort of stress-induced hallucination. He opened his personal elevator with his key and stepped inside. He pressed the button marked SL9 and stood back, waiting, blissfully unaware that Rebecca was standing right beside him. She didn't want him to see her this time. She gazed up at his handsome face, those deep cerulean eyes, and still felt great affection. She smiled.

He opened his locket and gazed lovingly at his baby brother's photograph. "Mokuba..."

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. When she spoke, it was wondering aloud, not trying to reach him, so he did not hear. "You're still on about him? What have you got, a brother complex? Should I leave you two alone?" Then a realization struck her. Kaiba was going to _Sub Level 9._ She shook her head, eyes wide. "No. No, no, you gotta be _KIDDING_ me! Don't you ever give up?"

The lights flickered as the elevator squealed to a shaky halt. Kaiba braced against the handrails to keep from falling on his ass. Before he could reach the control panel, the lights came on and the elevator soared with such sudden speed that Kaiba's knees buckled and the floor rose to meet him as he landed on his back. As the little box flew up the shaft, the g-force inside became so strong that Kaiba couldn't even sit up. He gritted his teeth against the intense pressure bearing down on him, sweat popping out all over his skin, a low growl deep in his throat. Up it went, all the way to the 100th floor. When it stopped, Kaiba was tossed into the air, just short of smacking face-first into the ceiling. He landed painfully and scrambled for the doors.

Still on his knees, he pried the doors apart and crawled into the foyer of his penthouse. Rebecca laughed at the priceless sight of Seto Kaiba on his hands and knees. This was a position she could come to love him in.

He went inside and turned on the lights, looking around with wild, suspicious eyes.

A lilting taunt: "Kaiba..." she giggled.

Kaiba whirled and looked around the livingroom. "Who are you!"

"Think about it, Kaiba. Think real hard."

The TV turned itself on, showing static.

_... skreeeeeeeEEEEEEEE..._

Kaiba winced and shook his head against the sound.

The static fazed into a grainy image of Kaiba, backlit by the ring of light in the mud basement. He looked just like Sadako's father gazing down the well in _Ringu._

Rebecca's voice echoed softly. "When you touched me, you were so gentle. Your fingertips felt like sweet little butterfly kisses on my eyelids..."

Kaiba walked slowly towards the screen, "Who's doing this..." He asked himself.

_"AAH!"_ He tore the flatscreen TV off the wall, and stood over it, trying not to panic.

He felt a finger tap his shoulder three times, hard enough to hurt.

He whirled. "What are you--!" No one was there.

"Do you believe yet, Kaiba?"

At this point Seto suddenly felt compelled to look at the wall opposite of where the TV had been. On that wall hung an 8 x 10 of Mokuba, who was smiling happily at some point beyond the camera. At that moment, it jumped off its hook. Instead of falling to the floor, it floated over to Kaiba and circled his head, slowly and deliberately.

As Seto watched, Mokuba's face burned and blackened. The glass discolored and cracked.

"How about now? Do you believe now?"

The picture suddenly flew and shattered against the wall.

o o o 

Bakura gazed out the window at the quiet night streets. The sky was overcast with darkening clouds. It had been raining on and off for some time now, but the sky would open up and really weep its guts out soon. Beads of rain skidded across the glass and flew off with the wind. 

_How can I tell them?_

Bakura absentmindedly squeezed Ryou's hand, and felt a reciprocal squeeze. Still staring out the window to avoid eye contact, he unintentionally sighed, "My precious light..."

"What'd you say, BakuChan?"

Unembarassed, he straightened and faced them-- Ryou beside him, Fluffy at the other end, Hiro driving. "I know how to defeat the curse."

They came to attention, wanting to hear it.

"If the seventh day arrives and Sadamara kills us, we become servants to the curse. But what if we die before then?"

"Oh..."

"That's right. We have to kill ourselves before Saturday."

Ryou and Fluffy stared at him for a few long seconds. Then they lifted their hands from their laps and began to clap.

Ryou smiled, his applause gaining enthusiasm. "Oh, BakaChan, that's the best idea you've had all week!"

Fluffy leaned towards him and gave him a thumbs-up. "Knew you'd figure it out."

Hiro was still whistling as he drove. Bakura realized someone was in the passenger's seat. He recognized the pharaoh's star-shaped head even before he turned to address Bakura, resting his arm across the top of the front seats. "That's right, BakaChan. It's really for the best."

Bakura arched an eyebrow. "I thought I hated you."

The pharaoh winked. "Oh. By the way..." He held out his arm, showing his wristwatch. Instead of a dial, there was simply a big number twelve on its face. "Welcome to Day Six. Happy Friday, everyone!"

Ryou, Fluffy, and Hiro were suddenly wearing party hats. "Happy Friday!"

Ryou tossed confetti into the air, then turned towards Bakura. Leaning close, he caressed his yami's face. "Oh, BakaChan. You did it. Kiss me?"

Bakura timidly complied with a brief, soft touch of lips against lips. They parted, holding hands. Ryou gazed into his eyes. "Promise me. Promise, My Love."

"Anything. What is it?"

"When the day comes, promise you'll be the one to stick it in me."

Bakura blinked at the double entendre and looked down. Ryou was holding Bakura's arm; in Bakura's hand was a dagger. He understood and smiled.

"I promise." He took hold of Ryou's arm and as the blade sliced into the soft flesh of Ryou's forearm, creating a gash from elbow to wrist, the skin parted and underneath Ryou's skin was jet black darkness, a vast, empty space Bakura could fall into and be trapped in forever.

Hiro's voice: "We're here."

The car jerked to a stop, waking Bakura. No one had noticed that he'd fallen asleep.

o o o 

His heart had stopped again. 

The medics hovered and buzzed over him like bees. The overhead lighting glared with sufficient brightness to turn the world beneath his eyelids crimson. He frowned inwardly, because that was all he could do. To any observer and all the medical equipment, Jouno Wheeler was dead.

However, he was still aware of the bedlam around him, heard them talking about what to do. He hardly sensed his body. Even as they shocked him, he was only dimly aware of how the electrical current went through him and made his half dead body arch against the bed.

_Please,_ his mind begged. _Please, stop trying to save me._ As he thought this, tears seeped out from between his closed eyelids.

"Joey?"

_... Yug'?_

"Joey, fight! Please, you can't die, you're my best friend!" His voice was strained. Jouno could tell he was holding back sobs.

_Sorry, Yug'. I can't fight anymore. Not after what I've done. There's no coming back. Please, please, please, just let me die. Let me die..._

They shocked him again.

_beep... beep... beep... beep..._

"We've got a pulse!"

**40  
crimson world  
finish**

KimyouTeki: Well? How'd ya like it?

InsaneShadowFan, I've noticed that too. I'm just reading, and I see a shape in my peripheral vision that looks like someone (Sadamara?) peeking at me from around a corner. I look up and it always turns out to be a picture on the wall. I'd feel pretty creeped out. I just hope that the day doesn't come when I see something in my peripheral vision, and look up to find her staring at me. (knock on wood!)

dragonlady 222, I think that'll happen in the sequel. I'm pretty sure, but of course, you never know. I saw a commercial for _The Ring Two_ coming out on DVD and my first and only thought was, _Research!_ You can find a little bit of info about the sequel and my other ongoing fics, future fics, and plot bunnies on my profile page.

Thanks for reviewing also go to SilverFoxes-BlackWolves, Pihorist, Annie loves it, Yami hitokiri, Envy Algaliarept, and marikslildevil! Laters!


	41. How I Learned to Stop Worrying

KimyouTeki: Hi! Sorry it took so long to update, but things kept coming up!

Annie Loves It, this story is winding down. Sad, but true. I kinda don't want it to end, but on the other hand, I'm eager to begin the sequel! Suguru hasn't shown up, and neither has Ryuichi Sakuma, which was requested. If I can't make it happen here, I'll be carrying it over to the sequel. Thanks for the cookies!

Thee Bycth, it's Friday, so the end is kinda close, but who knows how long that last day will stretch out...

bakura x ryou, glad you love the story and don't want it to end. It'll be a while yet.

Envy Algaliarept, no need to say sorry, 'cause I **love** long, enthusiastic reviews!

Mana-the-Authoress, thanks for the story notes, they were alot of fun to read! I loved'em!

dragonlady222, thanks for your sympathies about Hiroshi. I'm feeling better now, and Yoshi is doing well, too. :)

Thanks for reviewing also go to Ikana Sesako, Yami Hitokiri, Lily Bob, MarikRules, SilverFoxes-BlackWolves, and marikslildevil! 

**Forty-One  
"How I Learned to Stop Worrying  
and Love the Curse"**

Rebecca laughed as Kaiba ran for the stairs...

Her laughter abruptly stopped as Kaiba veered off-course. It turned out that he was heading not for the stairwell, but for the control panel set into the wall beside it. He stopped hard against the wall on his palms, then quickly punched a code into the keypad. At that moment ratcheting was heard all around as steel rolled down to cover all the windows, and the lights all blared to full power.

Rebecca frowned. _Oh, brother. Some idiotic security measure. He still thinks it's a trick!_

He strode through the livingroom, searching.

"I dare you to show your face, Coward! Let's see you now!"

_What an infuriating man! How do you scare someone like that?_

Kaiba searched the penthouse systematically, moving from the livingroom to the kitchen, then going down the hallway to where his and Mokuba's bed and bathrooms were. His room was empty, but as he made his way down to Mokuba's room, he heard the crash of glass breaking inside and burst into a run.

"Mokuba!"

There he stood, in a puddle of water. Although he was facing the other way, Kaiba easily recognized his baby brother.

_"Big Brother..."_

Kaiba's heart swelled with relief as he rushed and took hold of Mokuba's shoulder, turning the boy around so he could look at his face.

"Mokie--!"

Mokuba looked up at Kaiba. His face was porcelain, and one of his eyes had been smashed in. The darkness beyond the jagged shards gazed into Seto Kaiba.

_"Big Brother... I'm broken..."_

At this point, the child fell apart completely. Within seconds, there was nothing except a pile of broken clay at Kaiba's feet.

He heard Rebecca's voice mocking him:

_"Please, Big Brother, please come save me!"_ folllowed by cruel, insane laughter.

o o o

The hot water had run out, but Yuki did not notice. He simply stood in the shower, letting the icy water stream over the red mark the noose had made around his neck, and the handprints Jouno had burned all over his back and chest. He wavered due to his exhaustion, but otherwise, was still.

Head down, all he could see behind his closed eyelids was Shuichi's smiling face.

Tears fell and mingled with the shower water.

o o o

Bakura and Fluffy were in the kitchen, leaning against the island counter, arms crossed. The Tetra had returned to normal upon Malik's departure. Ryou and Hiro were in the livingroom, watching the news in case Rebecca decided to make some noise.

Fluffy sighed noisily, but otherwise, neither had made a sound. They were each in their own world of panic, Bakura fearing Ryou's demise, Fluffy wondering how he could get his light away from that crazed little bitch. He'd begun to shake his head as he thought up solutions, then discarded them.

Bakura looked up at Fluffy, staring at him for a long time. Fluffy didn't notice. He was too deep in thought.

Finally, he said, "I know how to defeat the curse."

o o o

Kaiba ran into the nearest washroom-- Mokuba's-- and fell to his knees before the toilet. He retched, but nothing came out, as he had not eaten.

He curled up against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. He could not help but look around at the decorations-- Mokuba's Duel Monsters bath towel, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon bath rug, his bath toys, all smiling cartoon characters and chibi Duel Monsters. His tooth brush was standing proudly in its holder, as if Mokuba could come in any second to brush his teeth.

Once the tears began to fall, Kaiba could not stop them.

_He was an innocent. So helpless..._

He fought back the image of Mokuba's corpse, but it leapt unbidden into his mind, making him choke out a startling sob. _How could anyone do that to him?_

Kaiba screamed, his voice frought with sorrow and agony.

Watching this, Rebecca frowned and crinkled her brow.

_I don't understand. Why is he so upset? Mokuba was an albatross around his neck. I did him a favor._

Floating over him, she shook her head.

_Fine, Kaiba. I thought you'd be glad to be rid of him, but I was obviously wrong. If you miss him so much, I guess I can help you out._

o o o

"It's really for the best--"

Fluffy's fist slammed into Bakura's face, knocking him backwards. He gripped the edge of the counter to stay on his feet, then looked up and met the Egyptian's glare.

"That's not a solution. That's giving up and you know it."

"Well, why don't you tell me what great idea you've come up with?"

Fluffy lowered his head.

o o o

After some time, Kaiba slowly got to his feet and stumbled to the sink. Hunching over it, he ran some cold water and splashed his overheated face, his eyes red and swollen from weeping, his throat sore from sobbing and screaming.

Kaiba didn't notice it when a sound arose in the room, but it soon became unbearably loud.

_... skreeeeeeEEEEEEEE--_

He winced and, squeezing his eyes shut, clamped both hands over his ears.

_"--Aah. Nnhhh..."_

Straightening, something caught his eye, and he immediately forgot about the sound.

There was a young woman in the room with him.

He saw by the reflection that she was standing behind him, leaning into the corner. He whirled to ask her who she was, but there was nothing there. Sweat popped out all over his skin even as the icy water he'd just splashed on his face began to dry, chilling him.

Slowly, he turned back towards the mirror and was frightened to see that she was still in the mirror, but had now turned towards him and was approaching her side of the looking glass. She walked in slow, shaky, disjointed steps; a corpse's gait.

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

The mirror was very large. It covered the entire wall above the vanity counter. The image was dark and gray-- it wavered and seemed unfocused, like an old movie.

Kaiba stumbled backwards, transfixed as an unusually mature Rebecca approached. Her hair was dirty and muddy, covering her face like a solid wall.

She climbed onto the vanity counter on her side, crawled through, then sat on his side, letting her feet dangle off the edge of the counter.

Kaiba sucked in a gasp which abruptly stopped as he hit the shower doors and crashed through to a painful landing on the cold, hard tile.

He stared up at her as she closed in, moving her head back and forth, preparing to give him the look of death.

She knew he must want it; why else would he so willingly meet her gaze? As he saw her eyes, with its milk-white pupils, he cried out. His lungs seized up and he began to writhe in death throes.

_Goodbye, Kaiba._

o o o

"Nothing worked, okay, we're fucking screwed, okay, is that what you want to hear?"

Bakura wilted under Fluffy's gaze. Looking down and off to the side, he slowly shook his head.

o o o

_"Wake up._

_"Please, wake up! You have to hurry!"_

ShuChan sat up, very disoriented-- it took him a second to remember where he was. He peered around in the darkness of Kaiba's bedroom, wondering what had woken him. His breath hitched in his throat as he caught sight of a shadowy figure standing before the bank of windows.

_"Please,"_ the figure said, _"You have to wake him up. Someone's going to die!"_ As soon as those words left his lips, the shadow vanished before ShuChan's eyes.

ShuChan was so startled, he grabbed Malik and began shaking him violently. "Malik! Wake up! Wake up! I saw something!"

Malik's eyes snapped open.

o o o

The image of Rebecca vanished, and Kaiba found that he could breathe again.

He struggled to his feet and stared at the mirror for a long time, catching his breath and trying to explain away what he'd just experienced.

o o o

"I'm sorry. I saw something-- a strange shadow-- and it startled me."

Malik snuggled up to ShuChan and kissed him on the nose. "It's alright. To be honest, I was having a nightmare."

"Then you're glad I woke you?"

"Yes." He held Shuichi closer, sighing happily, then closed his eyes.

"... Malik?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering about the people who hurt you..."

Malik opened his eyes. "Why would you ask something like that?"

"Well, you're a vengeful spirit, yet you're here, taking out your anger on people you hardly know. Why haven't you gone after the ones who are truly responsible for your state? You haven't even mentioned them."

Malik had no reply for that.

ShuChan leaned over him, weaving their fingers together and smiling his most reassuring smile. "I still want to help you. Please, talk to me. I'm sure it will help."

Malik's expression began to change. First, his features began to slowly contort into what could have been construed as either rage or fear. Then, tears welled up in his eyes and tumbled down to soak into the pillow, and he sat up, turning his face away.

"No."

"Rebecca..." ShuChan put his arms around Malik in a warm, gentle embrace. "They can't hurt you anymore. I'm here for you. I'll protect you."

A sob escaped Malik's throat, and he pressed his fingertips to his lips. He burst into tears and threw his arms around Shuichi's waist.

ShuChan ran his fingers through Malik's sand-colored hair.

"There, there. It's alright."

Malik's voice was muffled, as his face was buried in ShuChan's chest. "No it's not."

He straightened and looked ShuChan in the eyes. "I don't want to be like him."

ShuChan caressed Malik's jawline with his fingertip. "No one ever said you had to be. I'm here, and I will help you."

Malik snuggled up to ShuChan, tears streaming steadily down his face, but he was calming down. He sighed, "I think we must all be doomed to turn into the monsters who destroyed our innocence."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I've had a horrible epiphany. Ever since I came back, I've been acting just like ..."

"... Like the men who killed you?"

Malik nodded ruefully.

"But it's gonna be okay now, because you've realized how wrong it is to hurt people, right, Rebecca? You don't want to hurt anyone anymore, do you?"

Malik thought about Shuichi's question for a long time, then shook his head.

"No. I don't."

He smiled at ShuChan, tears glistening in his eyes. "I just want the kind of life I should've had. I want to be happy."

They hugged tighter. "It'll be okay now, Sweetie. I love you."

"I've got a great idea. Let's have a picnic breakfast in the garden, okay?"

"Sure."

"Great." Malik straightened, sniffling and wiping his tears away. "I'll go out at dawn and get rid of all those corpses, and we'll have a wonderful morning."

ShuChan sweatdropped. "Sounds great."

o o o

The dawn broke crisp and clear Friday morning. Malik perched at the top of the stairs on Kaiba's porch and took in a deep, refreshing breath, then sighed it out. "Aah... What a beautiful morning."

_I feel so good today. So peaceful, like things are finally going to be alright. I'm not even mad about Kaiba getting away from me. The weather's perfect for a picnic. This day will be mine and ShuChan's._

Malik giggled girlishly. "Okay, time to get rid of those corpses." He trotted down the steps and got to work.

_I'll worry about BakaChan tomorrow..._

**41  
"how i learned to stop worrying  
and love the curse"  
finish**


	42. Our Turn

KimyouTeki: Sorry I'm such a slow writer lately!

Yami hitokiri, ShuChan was only being kind when he told Rebecca he loved her. His heart still belongs to Yuki!

Thanks for reviewing also go to bakuraxryou, Lily Bob, dragonlady222, Annie loves it, SilverFoxes-BlackWolves, marikslildevil, and Ikana Sesako! 

This chapter is dedicated to marikslildevil, whose review inspired it!

**Forty-Two  
Our Turn**

Rebecca had planned to burn the corpses, but then realized that that might fill the air with some pungent aroma and ruin her picnic with ShuChan. She thought next of digging a mass grave, but that would take too long. In the end, she decided to simply drag them to a far corner of the gardens for the time being and get rid of them later. While doing this, she discovered an old barn in some forgotten corner of the courtyard. It was empty and reasonably clean, so Rebecca decided to put the corpses in there.

Dragging each corpse was proving to be hard, sweaty work, but she scarcely noticed, she was so looking forward to her first romantic picnic date.

o o o

ShuChan was in the kitchen, putting together the picnic basket. He made a few _onigiri_ and added them to the feast he'd packed into a large, cheery basket lined with gingher wax paper.

_I've made a huge breakthrough with her-- I've helped her decide to stop hurting people. Next step-- convince her to call off the curse._

o o o

Rebecca dragged one more corpse into the barn-- what was left of its arms trailed in the scant traces of ages-old hay and dust, leaving stripes on the concrete floor-- and laid it down on the heap in the center of the area. She straightened and wiped the sweat from her brow.

_I'll need to take a shower before my date. Don't wanna be stinky for ShuChan..._

She gasped when something cold hit her right in the middle of the top of her head. She reached up, felt it, and brought her hand down, expecting to see blood because it was the only thing she could think of.

It was water.

_Rain?_

Rebecca went to the entrance of the barn and looked out over the courtyard. What had started out as a bright, crisp dawn had quickly turned into a gray, bleak morning.

_How did this happen...?_

"I've got a question..."

Rebecca gasped and whirled around, to where bales of hay were stacked against the wall. A person was sitting upon one of those bales, his face hidden in shadows, his voice and features unmistakable.

"How much longer do you expect to masquerade in that fine body of mine?"

Rebecca opened her mouth to scream, _Go away!_ but someone else spoke first, from the opposite side of the barn:

"You remember, Malik... She's got Seven Days."

Now Rebecca was surrounded. When she spoke, her voice was low and defensive. "You're dead. Why don't you just go to heaven..."

"I can't. You of all people should know that."

He had been leaning against the wall. Now, he stood and took a couple of steps towards the light, just enough so that Rebecca could see his chocolate-colored eyes and milk-colored pupils.

"And just so ya know, I'm not dead, I've lapsed into a coma. Aren't I a lucky guy."

Rebecca wavered in her stance, presently at a loss. "What the hell do you want from me? It's not like I can help you with your situation. It's not like I care."

Malik was now closing in as well. Although they were each about ten feet away, Rebecca could feel how trapped she was.

"But Sweetie, you should care. Show her why, Jouno."

Rebecca had been watching Malik as he spoke. As soon as he said Jouno's name, she whirled to look at him. He'd snuck up and gotten right in her face, and as she met his gaze, he pushed her, laying both palms upon her chest.

She cried out in pain and fell backwards, hitting the concrete floor hard and clutching at her chest.

Gasping for breath, she knew that if she were to open her shirt, she'd find handprints burned into her chest.

The two stood over her, their laughter echoing eerily in the barn.

"Ha. She loves to dish it out..."

"But she sure as hell can't take it. Coward."

o o o

Ryou had just brushed his teeth and was now rinsing with Listerine, sloshing it around in his mouth. Everything was perfectly normal; then Bakura came in.

Without warning, he came up behind Ryou and hugged him tight enough to make him spit out the Listerine. Most of it wound up going down the front of his shirt.

He coughed and wiped some off his chin, looking at the reflection of Bakura in the mirror, although his face was hidden. "BakuChan? Is everything... Are you alright?"

"Ryou..." He buried his face deeper into the middle of Ryou's back, which was painful. Ryou arched away from him.

"Ow... BakuChan... What is it?"

Bakura finally let go and allowed Ryou to turn around in his arms. They looked into each others' eyes. Ryou was surprised to see such a somber expression on Bakura's face.

"We're going to die..."

"The curse. I know."

"I've failed you, and I'm sorry."

Ryou ran his fingers through Bakura's snowy hair. "BakuChan..."

Bakura blushed. "I love it when you call me BakuChan. I love it when you speak at all."

This statement gave Ryou some pause.

"Ryou, I love you."

o o o

Malik and Jouno were gone.

Getting to her feet, Rebecca searched the interior of the barn, but she saw nothing. She wasn't foolish enough to think of what she'd just experienced as anything but what it was: a harbinger.

Outside, a cold fog hung in the air, obscuring all but the vaguest shapes-- the trees, where they broke around the path to the lake, and over here, the large dark gray lump that was Kaiba's lake house. She walked in that direction now, worried, her stride speeding to a sprint as she covered ground, yet didn't seem to be getting any closer to the house.

She finally stopped, breathless, hand clamped over the stitch in her side. The house seemed to be further away now.

She heard them again, laughing somewhere in the fog.

A sheen of cold sweat and mist chilled her skin and she could not stop herself from trembling. She hugged herself, feeling like a lost, helpless child again.

o o o

Ryou stared at Bakura for the longest, most torturous time. When he finally opened his mouth, all he could say was, "BakuChan..."

Bakura held Ryou tighter, feeling the warmth of their bodies pressed together. It felt so good.

_"Mmmh..._ My light... Precious light..."

Ryou's fingers were caressing his hair. "BakuChan..."

Bakura sighed happily.

"BakuChan, I love you too."

Bakura's eyes snapped wide open. He loosened his embrace and backed enough to look at Ryou. His light was smiling kindly at him. Bakura was amazed.

_I told him... He knows now..._

o o o

Ryou burst into the kitchen, where Fluffy and K San were drinking and leaning against the counter. His eyes were wide with panic. They stood, stepping towards him.

"What is it?"

"Bakura's having a seizure!"

o o o

They found him on the bathroom floor, eyes rolled back, limbs flailing, body thrashing. The deceptively soft thumps of his body hitting the floor repeatedly filled the air.

K San fell to his knees beside the thief and took hold of his head, trying to keep it from hitting the floor, and tilting it to the side so Bakura wouldn't swallow his tongue. Fluffy folded Bakura's arms over his chest and leaned his weight onto his body to keep it still, which was only somewhat effective.

"Call the main desk! We need an ambulance now!"

o o o

Their voices circled her within in the fog, moving slowly, closing in around her.

"So you've decided..."

"You won't hurt people anymore. You want the good life."

"And everything will be forgiven."

"Bull_shit!"_

"We have a message for you. From my best friend Honda..."

"And Duke, Mai, Anzu..."

"... And especially Mokuba."

"And the message is..."

Rebecca's breath caught in her throat as she became aware of a low growling sound. She couldn't tell which direction it came from. Then she saw it-- a pair of eyes glowing maliciously from the emptiness. Just as she recognized it as one of Jouno's pit bulls, it charged, tearing Rebecca's host body-- Malik's body-- to shreds.

**42  
our turn  
finish**


	43. Giving Up

KimyouTeki: Yay! New Chapter! Still so much more to tell!

marikslildevil, Poland sounds like a cool vacation spot! Wells, horses, giant spiders... Sounds like it would inspire some scary shit! Yep, I wouldn't have thought about Malik and Jouno turning the tables on Rebecca if not for you asking where Malik was! See? Your input has a big impact! Keep reviewing, everyone!

YaoiFanLady2, yep, I first posted this baby September 29, 2004! They deleted it because I put a lemon, but true evil never dies! MUAHAHAHAHA! Keep reading!

MarikRules, your question will be answered this chapter!

Annie loves it, thankies for the strawberry pocky, it's my favorite too! I eat it and think about ShuChan, sighing dreamily... 

Thanks for reviewing also go to Yami hitokiri, Ikana Sesako, bakuraxryou, Lily Bob, SilverFoxes-BlackWolves, BakuMarik Fan, mana-the-authoress, and dragonlady222!

**Forty-Three  
Giving Up**

Bakura found himself lying in a hospital bed once again.

He frowned and blinked at the ceiling, which was covered with water stains that made it look like someone had pissed up there.

He tried to sit up, meaning to get out of bed and go find Ryou, but found he could not move any part of his body.

He was about to start panicking when the door was opened noisily, and two sets of footsteps approached.

Bakura couldn't even move his head to see who it was. He didn't know until they leaned over his bed and peered down into his face that Malik and Jouno had come back.

Malik was wearing the crisp, starched white dress of a nurse, and Jouno was wearing baby blue scrubs. Malik furrowed his brow as he scrutinized Bakura's face. "Think he'll know?"

Jouno was pulling rubber gloves onto his hands. "Nah. It's already Friday and he still doesn't have a clue. He won't mind."

Bakura opened his mouth to ask what the fuck they were talking about--

He couldn't move his mouth. His apprehension began to compound in earnest when he realized he could no longer even blink his eyes or change his facial expression.

They were on opposite sides of his bed and each leaned forward now, grasping his arms. Malik looked towards the door. "Do you think she'll catch us?"

"Maybe. There will probably be at least one more death. A surprise, like in _The Ring_."

"Is that your prediction?"

Jouno shrugged. "You ready?"

"Always."

Suddenly, they bared their teeth and, falling forward, bit into Bakura's arms. Bakura didn't move or scream, but he felt the pain.

He felt them shaking their jaws back and forth, digging their teeth in and severing flesh. He wanted to scream and pull away, demand an explanation for their fucked up behavior, and most of all, make them pay for it. But he could not move.

o o o

Bakura opened his eyes.

He had a large plastic tube down his throat, forcing air into his lungs. He saw Ryou asleep in a chair beside his bed. He reached for his light and managed to brush his fingertips across Ryou's hand, waking him.

He opened his eyes. Bakura realized with a start that he was now sitting in Ryou's chair. He looked and saw himself asleep in the hospital bed.

_Ryou?_ He leaned over the bed and peered into his own sleeping face.

_He's not there. Where is he...?_

He was startled by a loud _CRASH--_ glass breaking somewhere.

He ran to the bay windows and all he saw outside was the sands of Ancient Egypt. But he knew.

He turned towards the figure sleeping in the bed. "BakuChan! He's coming."

As he said this, he wondered why he'd said _He's coming_ instead of _She's coming_.

o o o

Kaiba hunched over the workbench, soldering wiring onto a silicon chip the size of a pencil's eraserhead. He didn't pause to wipe the sweat from his brow until it seeped into his eyes. He wouldn't have stopped for the pain-- he straightened and began swabbing at his face with a soft white towel for the sole purpose of clearing his vision so he could work.

Out of the blue, he heard Jouno's voice:

_What next, you gonna fuck your computer?_

He could not remember when Jouno had said that, or if he ever actually had. It sure sounded like something he'd say. Kaiba paused for a second more to wonder how Jouno was progressing. The blonde had been in a coma, but only for about twenty minutes. The guy was a fighter. Kaiba had always known that.

Leaning over his work again, he smirked. _And it's always been fun fighting with you, Puppy._

The cell phone rang, and Kaiba snatched it up. The only people who'd be calling right now would be the doctors caring for Jouno, or the scientists down in SubLevel 9, so it was doubtlessly something vital.

"What?"

o o o

Ryou was sitting up in the hospital bed, regarding Bakura placidly.

Bakura sweatdropped and gazed at his light-- the expression on Ryou's face was completely unreadable.

After a few quiet seconds, Ryou said, "You might want to have someone look at that."

Bakura followed Ryou's gaze, looking down at himself.

His arms were bloody, the flesh torn and decimated where Jouno and Malik had bitten him. The flesh was blackened and rotting. His arms were useless dead weight.

Ryou cackled, and the brashness of his voice made Bakura jolt. Looking up at his hikari, Bakura saw Ryou's eyes glinting with a fiery cruelty that seemed alien, yet suited him somehow.

"Oh, BakuChan, you can't do anything now. It's too late. It's as I always thought... You really are worthless, aren't you?"

o o o

It was a cold, gray morning. Mist swirled through the air, chilling Jouno, making his skin clammy. He gazed down at the street-- dark lumps were cars, scurrying ants were people. Things looked so different from ten stories above.

There were a half-dozen orderlies standing in a semi-circle a few yards away from him, watching his every motion.

Jouno Wheeler presently sat on the ledge, legs already swung over the edge.

He had every intention of jumping, but not until he'd spoken to Kaiba one last time. They'd already called him, and now they were waiting.

The roof access door was opened and the hospital administrator came out, then held the door so Kaiba could enter.

The door was in line with where Jouno sat on the ledge. The first thing Kaiba saw upon stepping onto the roof was Jouno perched there, half-turned, watching Kaiba over his shoulder.

He strode towards the gathering, and the orderlies parted so he could approach Jouno.

Jouno raised a hand. "That's close enough."

Kaiba addressed everyone else without turning to look at them:

"Leave us."

The administrator sweatdropped. "Mr. Kaiba, with all due respect, we're trained experts, and it's against hospital policy to--"

Kaiba turned, and with an icy glare, reminded the administrator of KaibaCorp's upcoming annual donation. Soon, Kaiba and Jouno were alone.

Jouno regarded Kaiba for a few long seconds. The blonde had bandaging from the bullet he'd taken in the head. It was a small square of gauze taped just under his jawline, deceptively small considering how extensive the damages had seemed. Kaiba had been positive that Jouno would bleed to death before his helicopter could reach the emergency room.

He was drawn into the depths of chocolate eyes and remembered Jouno's voice:

_I'm in love with you, Kaiba!_

Looking at Jouno Wheeler... the regret and despair in his eyes... Kaiba got the strangest feeling, as if Jouno were some sort of treasure that he could not allow to get away from him. He frowned and shook his head. 

"Kaiba..."

"Sorry, did you say something? It's hard to hear out here, why don't you come inside if you want to talk."

"I can't do that. Look, Kaiba. I just wanted to... I want to apologize for Mokuba."

He reached for Kaiba. Kaiba stepped forward and offered one of his hands, which Jouno took in both of his. He raised one leg and folded the knee across the ledge so he could face Kaiba more.

"I wish with every fiber of my being that I could take back what happened to Mokuba. But I can't. I was weak and..." His voice cracked. Lowering his head, he could not conceal the tears that streamed down his face. He shook his head emphatically, then looked Kaiba in the eyes.

"But I can't. There's no way you can ever forgive me. I get that. There's no way I can live with the knowledge-- the memories--" He lowered his head and began to sob.

He found himself leaning into Kaiba, finding comfort in his arms. Kaiba didn't pull away or object.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba. I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible person. I can't..."

"Can't what? Face the consequences of your actions? Deal with the things you've done to the people you called your friends?" He suddenly seized Jouno in a vise-like grip.

Jouno pulled back as much as he could in Kaiba's arms, looking up into his eyes. "What are you doing? I caused you so much suffering! You should want me dead more than anyone!"

"Right. You lost your mind and made this big mess, now you're gonna splatter on the sidewalk. Leave another big mess for us to clean up. Don't be a coward! Own up to your crimes!"

o o o

_"Psst._ Hey, Bakura."

Bakura looked around, wondering who was calling to him. He looked up and down the hospital corridors, walking faster as his fear mounted. His arms were no longer damaged, and all he wore was a hospital gown with a hemline that stopped at his thighs.

It was the middle of the night, and he could not find anyone to talk to. He saw the shapes of patients lying in the beds, but he was afraid to speak to them-- afraid of what he might see if he looked at their faces.

Finally, he came upon a corner and saw Jouno peering at him from the next hallway. He was smirking and chuckling as he waved Bakura over. "That's it. Come over here."

His and Jouno's hospital gowns were identical.

Bakura wrinkled his nose. "When did you get admitted?"

"Got shot in the head. No big. Come on." He began to lead Bakura further down the hall, into darkness.

"Where are you leading me? Why should I follow you?"

"Now, now, don't be so suspicious. I've got a gift for you."

They wound up in a hospital room. Walking up, Bakura saw someone laying in the bed and quickly recognized Malik.

"Don't mind him," said Jouno. "he's dead now."

Getting on his knees, he reached under Malik's bed. "He won't be needing this anymore."

Bakura looked closely at Malik's face, trying to see if he was breathing. Malik did indeed look dead.

_No. That can't be..._

"Here you go."

The Sennen Rod was thrust into Bakura's hands. He blinked at Jouno, who smiled wider now. "My gift to you. You know what to do with it, don't you?"

He drew the blade out. It glinted faintly in the dim light. Bakura saw his eyes reflected in its golden surface.

"If you truly love your hikari, there's only one thing you can do. Don't falter when the time comes, BakaChan."

o o o

"Just let go of me!"

"I'm not letting you go! Since when is Jouno Wheeler a quitter?"

Jouno stopped struggling in Kaiba's grip, his brow furrowed, his eyes red from all his crying. "I'm not the same anymore. I can't go back to being the way I was."

"Yes you can. I can help you."

"Have you lost your mind! I killed your brother! You should hate me!" He began pounding on Kaiba's chest with both fists.

"Hate me! _Hate me!_ I killed Mokuba!"

His fists slowed and his voice died down as he lowered his head. "I should be dead. Just let me die, please, let me die..."

Kaiba shocked Jouno by taking him into an embrace. Jouno felt Kaiba's body heat, and heard his heart beating. It calmed him somehow, although his sorrow did not diminish. He couldn't understand why Kaiba was being so forgiving about such a thing as Mokuba's gruesome death.

It suddenly occurred to him that maybe Kaiba was about to shove him over the edge.

_That's why he didn't want me to take my life. He wanted the pleasure of killing me himself._ He held Kaiba and squeezed his eyes shut, steeling himself.

_I get it, Kaiba. This will give you the closure you need. Go ahead. Push me._

"Wheeler..."

"... Yes?"

"If you were really going to kill yourself, you wouldn't have let me get within three feet of you." He sprang into action, dragging Jouno away from the ledge and onto the rooftop.

_"Aah!_ What are you doing?"

"Listen to me, Wheeler!"

Jouno thrashed and pulled them both back towards the ledge. "Let me go! Let me go!"

_"LISTEN TO ME!"_

Stunned at the volume and intensity of Kaiba's voice, he stopped and gazed up into Kaiba's blue eyes.

"I want you to listen to what I'm about to say very carefully. Are you listening?"

Jouno nodded.

"Good. I'm going to help you, because you have obviously had some sort of mental break. I've already called some of the best doctors in the world, and they're going to take care of you. I'm going to pay for your care, and you are going to accept my help without complaint. Do you understand?"

"But I..."

"Stop right there. I'm not done talking. The other thing I've got to say is very important. Are you listening?"

Jouno nodded.

"You did not kill Mokuba."

o o o

Ryou was not allowed to wake Bakura.

All he could do was watch helplessly as his yami lay thrashing and writhing in the grip of night-terrors. The doctors did tests which came out inconclusive, then did more tests, which also came out inconclusive. According to them, Bakura was perfectly healthy and yet...

Ryou dabbed some sweat off of Bakura's brow with a folded hand towel. He was whimpering in his throat, and it pained Ryou to see him this way.

_Why can't I wake him? Why does he have to suffer...?_

The doctors had told him that it could do more damage to wake him from the state he was in. Ryou didn't understand how pulling Bakura out of his terror could hurt him, but he had no choice but to follow their advice.

The towel was warm now. Ryou put it in the bowl of water and took it to the washroom to freshen it.

He emptied the bowl and filled it with fresh cold water, then tossed the soggy towel into the hamper and selected a new one. This was the only thing he could do right now to help Bakura, and he felt so worthless because of that fact.

He closed his eyes and sighed, then jolted as the door behind him was opened and Fluffy entered.

He closed the door and leaned against it, smiling at Ryou.

"Fluffy? Is something wrong?"

"I've got a stowaway."

He lowered his head, as if going into a trance. Ryou watched as Fluffy's trademark hair lost its spikiness and fell softly around his face.

When he looked up again, it was Malik who smiled and coquettishly batted his lashes at Ryou.

"Aijin..." 

**43  
giving up  
finish**


	44. All About Bakura

o

- o -

-- o --

--- o o o ---

"... Is that really you, Malik?"

Malik took Ryou into his arms and proved who he was with a deep, slow, passionate kiss. Ryou melted in Malik's embrace and leaned against him, fingers gripping the Egyptian's Rare Hunters cloak.

_"nnhh... mmh..."_

When they parted, Ryou smiled into his lover's eyes. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Rebecca's dead."

Ryou blinked and raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"She's dead. Jouno helped me kill her." He gazed thoughtfully to the side. "Unless he was just part of my dream..."

He smiled at Ryou again. "But the important part is that you're safe now."

"How do you kill a ghost...?"

"I lost my body, but it's okay. It's not like I've never shared a host body before."

"But what about the curse?"

Malik kissed the tip of Ryou's nose. "There is no curse."

-- o -- o -- o --

"Malik?"

ShuChan stepped cautiously down the steps. An icy wind swept past him as he approached the fog surrounding Kaiba's house with a dense, cold, white shroud.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Malik!"

The only response was the howl of the wind.

He walked in the direction he thought he'd heard Malik scream. As he approached, the fog dissipated and revealed a mound of rendered human flesh laying in a puddle of mud and blood.

ShuChan's air whooshed from his lips in an astonished sigh.

"Malik... Rebecca..."

_"It's okay..."_

The mist rolled together and took shape. Rebecca gazed at him, her countenance angelic, her expression serene.

_"I'll never forget how kind you've been to me... Please, go back to Yuki..."_

-- o -- o -- o --

Jouno didn't open his eyes at first.

He listened as his breathing picked up. He felt the reassuring warmth of the bedclothes surrounding him. His body felt so heavy and weak that he dreaded the thought of having to raise himself from this comfortable place and start the day. He stayed still, wishing he could fall asleep again. It was so warm here, so quiet and safe...

"Big Brother?"

_Serenity?_

"Where are you, Big Brother?"

With a sharp inhale and a long sigh, he forced himself to sit up and open his eyes.

He was surprised to find himself in a strange room he'd never seen before.

The bed he lay on was bedecked in silken finery the likes of which he could never afford. The room was aglow with the light from dozens of candles.

_What the hell is this place?_

_Don't play dumb. You know where you are..._

He got out of the bed and drew a blue silk robe about himself as he left the room and strode down the hall in the direction he thought he'd heard Serenity's voice coming from.

"Serenity, I'm here! Don't move, I'll find you!"

The house, which he did not consciously recognize as Kaiba'a lake house, was filled with foreboding shadows that he had to stop and look at twice a few times. He kept glimpsing strange things in his peripheral vision-- it looked like there were people coming out of the walls. A chill overcame him as he thought that maybe it was possible that this place was haunted.

_Something is here,_ he thought, _something malicious._

He turned a corner into a long corridor and saw her form at the far end, in the doorway. She was facing the other way, just standing there gazing into the room before her.

"Serenity!"

He ran to her. He stopped and as he reached for her, he was struck with the sudden certainty that when he turned her around, there would be something horribly wrong with her face. He got a flash-- a mental image of Serenity's eyes covered with slimy white membranes like cataracts.

He turned her around and she looked perfectly healthy, but her expression was sad. Tears shone in her eyes.

"Big Brother..."

Seeing her in such sorrow made Jouno's heart ache. "What's wrong, Serenity?"

She turned and gestured beyond the door where they stood. "How could anyone do this?"

Mokuba was laying in the middle of the small room, before the fireplace. He was not a person, but an assortment of broken doll parts set together to resemble a human being. Seto was hunched over Mokuba, sobbing and kissing Mokuba's face. He seemed completely oblivious to Jouno and Serenity's presence.

Jouno put one arm around Serenity and his other hand over her eyes. "Don't look. You shouldn't see that."

Serenity's voice took on a panicky edge. "Where are you?"

Jouno held back a chuckle. He thought Serenity was playing up to the moment she pushed his hand away from her eyes and glared at him like he was a stranger. "Who are you? Where's Joey?"

"Serenity, what are you--?"

She slapped him smartly across the face. "Where's my brother!"

"But I AM Joey!"

She shoved past him and ran down the hall.

"It won't work. She knows you too well."

Jouno then saw himself across the room, leaning on the mantel of the fireplace. He thought for one crazy moment that he'd somehow developed his own yami, because the person standing there seemed darker, evil somehow. He wore a midi, long silk gloves, leather pants, and steel-toed workboots, all black. His eyes shone with an inhuman spark.

"Don't deny anything. Lie your ass off to them, if you want..."

The other Jouno cocked his head towards the floor. Mokuba and Kaiba were now joined by Yugi, Anzu, Honda, Duke, and Mai. They were covering Mokuba's corpse with bouquets and plushies.

"But don't lie to yourself, and keep in mind that you can't go back. You'll be better off." He turned and walked away.

"Wait! I don't understand--"

The other Jouno suddenly turned, a feral snarl of a smile on his face. He became a beam of light that fired itself at Jouno and struck him in the chest, penetrating and sinking into him. He cried out in surprise and pain.

-- o -- o -- o --

The door to the suite was opened and shut.

"Yuki!"

Yuki recognized Shuichi's voice and quickly got to his feet, taking a couple of steps in that direction.

He barely managed to suppress a smile as his pink-haired lover bounded into the room, ran to him, and threw his arms around him.

"Yuki Yuki Yuki! I missed you so much! It took me forever to find my way back here!"

Yuki stroked ShuChan's soft pink hair, and when ShuChan looked up at his lover, he saw tears flowing freely down Eiri's face.

"Yuki! Are you alright?"

"You're... such a ... moron..."

He scooped ShuChan into a tight embrace and did not let go until Breathing became an issue.

-- o -- o -- o --

Bakura strode up to the checkout and laid down the DVDs he intended to purchase-- _Ringu, The Ring,_ and _The Ring Two._

The cashier let out an impressed whistle. "Having a movie marathon?"

"It's research. I have to find out everything I can about Sadamara."

"Well, in that case you should get the Korean version, too, don't ya think?"

Bakura's face dropped. "... There's a Korean version?"

"Yep. It's called _The Ring Virus_." He pointed out where the DVD sat proudly on the shelf.

Bakura walked over and picked up the disc. As he did, something caught his eye. Next to _The Ring Virus_ he found a documentary called _Rings._ He grabbed it and saw yet another movie called _Rasen._ Every time he picked up a DVD, there were more in its place... _Birthday, Ring 0, Loop..._ It was endless.

Bakura hit the street, pushing a shopping cart that overflowed with _Ring_ DVDs.

He eyed the mountain of plastic cases and sweatdropped. _How am I going to manage to watch all of these before time runs out?_

He was on a broad sidewalk, rolling down a sunny street in what looked like New York City. People were milling about. Bakura was grateful that they ignored him.

Up ahead, he heard someone yelling. The crowd parted and Bakura found himself approaching a dark figure. It was a teenage boy with fluffy blonde hair and golden eyes. He was dressed all in black and gesturing wildly as he ranted to the indifferent crowd.

"It's easy with children. It's just so _easy_. You can do whatever you want, and they can't fight back. So pure, so clean, so _fresh._ Don't give me such a look! It's not my fault! I'm not his keeper!"

He suddenly turned and glared right into Bakura's eyes, startling and unnerving him. Bakura lowered his head and pushed the cart faster.

The nameless bishie yelled at Bakura's retreating form, his voice rising to a hysterical scream. "Those movies won't help, you know! You and your hikari are fucked! And even if you kill her, things'll just get worse! _It always gets worse!"_

The crowd got thicker as he hurried down the street. Bakura started shoving his way through and eventually bumped his shopping cart into a barricade. Everyone was gathered around, watching a parade.

There were three girls in china doll masks and long black wigs dancing slowly down the street, their motions sensual and deliberate. Their long white dresses floated after them on the breeze.

Every few steps they would pause and lower their masks long enough to smile and wink at the crowd. On one side was Anzu. On the other side was Mai. When the girl in the middle first lowered her mask, she looked like what Rebecca probably would've looked like if she'd been allowed to grow into a teenager. But each time she lowered the mask again, her face changed, becoming first Samara, then Sadako, then something that was no longer human.

-- o -- o -- o --

"I'll explain what I mean. I'll show you, and I'll tell you everything. But you have to get better first, Jouno Wheeler."

Jouno didn't answer, as he had been sedated and strapped into bed. His sleep was restless-- watching from the doorway, Kaiba saw the crease in his brow, and the slight clench of his fists.

The surroundings were posh for a mental facility. Kaiba had paid and admitted Jouno himself, and would be responsible for him from here on out.

"Mr. Seto Kaiba?"

He turned and met the gaze of a tall, slim woman with wavy midnight blue hair and deep blue eyes so dark they were almost black. Her hand was out, and he shook it.

Her speech was even and professional. "I am Dr. Paoma Wong."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice."

She nodded and walked past him into Jouno's room. "Is this the patient?"

"Yes."

"I've seen items about his deeds on the news. I'm very interested in this case."

-- o -- o -- o --

There was no lock on the bathroom door. Ryou thought this was most likely so patients couldn't lock themselves in and hurt themselves, or be unreachable if they had heart attacks.

Ryou smirked and covered Malik's lips with his finger.

"Shh."

They moved to the door and leaned against it, arms around each other, and kissed.

"We can't stay long... Bakura's still sick. He might need me."

"Don't worry. He's asleep. He'll be fine for a few minutes."

-- o -- o -- o --

Bakura awoke with a sharp gasp.

He blinked at the ceiling for a few long seconds, thinking about his dream and what it might mean for him and his light.

Sitting up, he looked out the bay window. It was raining sheets.

_It's you, BakaChan... It's all about you._

The idea invaded Bakura's mind quickly-- he imagined opening that bay window... climbing out onto the ledge... jumping to his death. He saw his corpse laying facedown in the rain. What shocked him most was how alluring it all seemed.

He found himself suddenly convinced that if he killed himself, the curse would be broken and Ryou would be safe. He pulled back the bedsheets and swung his feet out--

-- o -- o -- o --

-- o o o --

-- o o --

-- o --

**all about bakura**

**finish**

Author's Note: This is my first post since they announced a new rule against thanking your reviewers. It sounds ridiculous, but I can't take any chances-- I don't have it in me to repost this again.

BTW, I have lost track of your requests, so could you resubmit them in your reviews? I wrote them down, but then I lost the paper. I remember someone asking for Ryuichi Sakuma to make an appearance, but that's it. This story is winding down, so you can send me requests for stuff you'd like to see in the sequel, too!

See ya next update!


	45. Paradox Theory

Note: Sorry it took me so long to post this. It's not very scary, but I think it moves the plot along nicely, so...

Please to enjoy...

-- o --  
-- o o o --  
-- o -- o -- o --

**Paradox Theory**

-- o -- o -- o --  
-- o o o --  
-- o --

Bakura, what are you doing!"

"It's okay, Ryou. I understand now..." He leaned over the ledge, towards the parking lot six floors below.

_"NO!" _

"This is connected to our existence. Mine, Yami's, and Fluffy's. We're anachronisms. Our existence caused a paradox which allowed this curse to be born. That's why Yugi had to lose Yami, and Fluffy had to lose Malik. If I kill this body..." He looked down at himself with disdain. "... This body which should be dust and bones... The world will be in order again and the evil will be locked away. You'll be safe. That's all that matters to me now."

_"BAKURA!"_

_But it was too late. I fell to a noble death for my love..._

Bakura sighed.

_At least, that's how it _should_ have gone._

He was sitting on the ledge, feet dangling over the edge, watching cars mill about the parking lot below. He watched people park and get out of their cars and walk into the building, wondering where exactly he would land if he did jump. He looked over his shoulder at the bathroom door. He knew Ryou was in there doing something with Malik; he'd heard them talking.

He turned back to his breath-taking view of Domino City and the Tokyo skyline, unable to fight back a strange feeling that made his head hurt and chest ache.

_Malik's return blows my paradox theory out of the water..._

Sadamara was sitting on the ledge beside him.

He could make out her shape, saw the jet-black of her hair cascading over her form.

He turned his head to look, and nothing was there, but as soon as he turned back, she swam into view again.

She just sat there, staring at him through that wall of hair.

Bakura brought one leg up, resting the foot on the edge and hugging the knee. He took in a deep breath and sighed it out.

After a long silence, he finally said, "It's like we're old friends."

She just sat there, staring at him.

"I can't beat you, and I can't save Ryou's life, but I can save his spirit. You've already got Honda, Duke, Mai, and the pharaoh. However, you'll never possess my light. His soul belongs to me, and nothing will change that."

She didn't move, but seemed to have heard him. After a few seconds, her image faded.

Bakura cast one last look over the edge.

_This isn't the way to do it._

He stood, dusted himself off, and went back inside.

He found his street clothes in the nightstand, and put them on quickly, never taking his eye from the bathroom door, unable to block out certain sounds-- heavy breathing, Ryou's soft gasps...

_It doesn't matter. We'll all be dead soon. I'll bind our souls, and we'll be together for all eternity. Me... and my precious light... in an endless embrace..._

Bakura smiled.

-- o -- o --o --

Yugi stood as Kaiba entered the waiting room.

"How is he? Can I see him?"

Kaiba's expression was as cold and unreadable as ever. "He's under sedation now. You'd do best to just go home, Yugi."

"Let me talk to him. Please, I won't take long--"

"I said he's unconscious. Damnit, don't--" He stopped and shook his head. "Fine, do what you want. I've got work to do." Without another word or so much as a backwards glance, he walked away.

-- o -- o --o --

They were done.

Sweaty and hot, Ryou and Malik did not speak as they washed up and straightened their clothes and hair, trying to look presentable before they went back outside. Ryou hadn't intended to go all the way with Malik, but they'd lost control-- and track of time. They would soon regret their actions.

Once Ryou saw that Malik was ready, he opened the door and walked in a straight path to Bakura's bed. "BakuChan--"

Bakura was gone.

Ryou looked from the empty bed to the bay window, wide open, rain falling in and puddling on the floor.

_"BAKURA!"_

Running, he reached the window at such a speed that if he'd not grabbed the sill in time, he would've fallen through. He frantically searched the ground below, but did not see Bakura's body or any sort of commotion.

Over his shoulder, he heard Malik say, "His clothes are gone."

"Where the FUCK is HE?" Ryou charged out of the room, nearly mowing down Malik as he passed.

Malik followed, a tiny sweatdrop at his temple. _Scary when he's angry..._

"Hey!"

The nurse's head snapped up at the sound. Looking up, she saw Ryou marching to her desk, his face twisted in uncharacteristic anger.

He slapped both palms down on the cool, smooth desktop. "He's gone! How could you let him just walk out of here?"

"I'm sorry, what? Who?"

"Ugh, how incompetent are you?"

Malik felt sorry for the nurse, so he interjected. "Bakura San. He's not in his room."

Small rouge patches already painting her cheeks, the nurse gratefully dismissed Ryou and turned towards Malik. "Maybe he's in the bathroom...?"

"No, he's not in there. We need to find him. He's a danger to himself-- _Ow!"_

Ryou pulled Malik away. "Forget her. She's worthless. We'll find her ourselves."

"Ryou?"

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

"What? What-- Look, the most important thing right now is Bakura. He might hurt himself, or have another seizure. He doesn't even know you defeated Rebecca."

"Okay."

"What is it? Why are you giving me that look?"

"Sorry. I've just never seen you like this. Guess I didn't realize just how much you care about Bakura."

"Of course. You care about him too, right?"

Malik was surprised to hear Ryou say that, but soon he smiled and nodded.

"Now we have to think. Where would Bakura go?"

-- o -- o --o --

The slack fingers tightened around Yugi's small hand.

Yugi looked up at Jouno's face to see his eyelids fluttering.

"Joey! I'm here, Joey! How are you feeling now? Are you hurting anywhere?"

"... Yug'..."

"Yes?"

"... I'm sorry..."

Purple eyes glittering with tears, Yugi shook his head and they fell free. "Don't worry about that, Jouno. You were taken over by an evil spirit. I know it wasn't you."

Jouno squeezed Yugi's hand a little tighter.

Yugi closed both hands around Jouno's, sniffling as he smiled, glad his best friend was finally back. "You'll be okay now."

Jouno managed a weak, sad smile. His eyes widened, and he tried to sit up, but his eyes rolled and he fell back against the pillows. "Oh, I'm spinning..." His arms strained against the leather straps around his wrists.

"It's the medication. Just relax, Joey, you need to rest."

"Where are my clothes?"

"You need to stay put."

"No, no, I mean, I had the--"

Yugi sucked in a huge gasp. "Millennium Items!"

-- o -- o --o --

Bakura regarded the figure before him. "... You'll show me the way, right?"

Bakura chuckled. Sadamara didn't answer.

They were on Main Street, walking down the rain-soaked, uncrowded sidewalk. Sadamara was unaffected, but Bakura was being mercilessly pelted by the big fat rain drops. His clothes were soaked completely through and hung off of his slender frame.

The sky was overcast with clouds the color of gunmetal, so Bakura couldn't tell what time of day it was. His feet carried him in Sadamara's direction. She hovered before him; a mirage he couldn't stop following.

-- o -- o --o --

"I'll check our house, and you call the Tetra."

"Okay", said Malik, and he turned away from Ryou to go find a phone.

He found a bank of payphones and grabbed the first available one. Gripping it between his jaw and shoulder, be started digging through his pockets for change.

There was a man using the phone beside his-- tall, rail-thin, with blonde hair. He was facing the other way. Malik only noticed him because he was laughing, and the noise was bothersome.

Malik found the correct change and deposited it, then dialed--

_Wait, who the fuck am I supposed to call? I don't know K San's cell number... Don't know the hotel number..._ He blushed.

The guy laughed even harder than before. It felt as if he were laughing at Malik. He narrowed his eyes at the stranger's back.

Sighing, Malik put the phone back in its cradle and pushed the lever to retrieve his change. Looking up, his breath caught in his throat.

The man's head had turned all the way around to face him. The flesh of his neck was twisted and creased from the unnatural position. His eyes were bloodred, with glowing golden irises. His mouth was stretched out in an inhuman smile.

"Got a problem?" With those words, he vanished.

Malik stood frozen and speechless for a minute or two, blinking rapidly.

_What the hell...? Was that a ghost?_

He let out a nervous giggle.

_Just a random, run of the mill spook... Kinda goofy, really._ He laughed a little louder.

"Malik!"

Ryou came running up, crashing into him and grabbing Malik's forearms to stop himself. "I'm so glad I found you!"

"What is it?"

"I can't get out. This building won't let me leave!"

-- o -- o --o --

Yugi tore through the plastic bag containing Jouno's personal effects and dug out the black midi and leather pants. When he pulled out Kaiba's trench coat, he heard two clangs as the Sennen Rod and Millennium Puzzle fell out and hit the floor.

His tiny hands snatched them up before the sound of them hitting the floor had stopped echoing. "Here they are! At last!"

However, his smile faded a second later as he gazed at the Millennium Puzzle.

_It's... cold..._

Turning it, he saw the gaping hole where the puzzle's eye had been taken out.

"It's incomplete." He looked at Jouno.

"I honestly don't know where the last piece is, Yugi. If anyone knows, it would be Malik."

-- o -- o --o --

Malik let out an exasperated sigh. "I have no idea what the fuck is going on."

He and Ryou stood hand in hand in what should have been a bustling hospital. The halls were empty; the lights were out. All that could be heard was the rain, slamming itself against the building's exterior.

Ryou's voice came out as a whisper. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know..." Malik lowered his head and in a flash, his hair stood and it was Fluffy who gazed up at Ryou. "This is Rebecca's doing. She's trapped us here for a reason."

"What is it? Is she doing something to Bakura?"

He looked around, and began leading Ryou down one of the corridors. "We have to find her first. That's the game."

-- o -- o --o --

"Is this it?"

Sadamara's response was to fade away.

Hands on hips, rain-soaked bangs plastered to his forehead, Bakura found himself at the gates of Kaiba Corp.


	46. I Believe in You

"Let's find some flashlights", said Fluffy. "I can't see worth a damn in here." 

"Wait. Here." Ryou took something out of his pocket and shook it, and it began to give off a strong golden glow. "Come on." 

Hand in hand, they wandered what should have been a bustling hospital. The lights were out, the only ambient illumination being the occasional flash of lightning. 

"Now, let's think", said Fluffy. "Where would you hang out if you were a crazed vengeful spirit?" 

"Maybe there's a shrine in here." 

"A shrine in a medical building?" 

"So people can pray for the well-being of their loved ones." He pulled Fluffy along. "Come on, let's go find a directory."

* * *

Kaiba stood and walked around his work bench as Bakura strode through the double doors, rain-drenched, clammy, one eye glinting evilly through the saturated wall of white hair that covered his face almost entirely. 

"You're the last person I expected to see here. What the hell do you want, Bakura, I'm busy." 

Bakura sighed, smirking. "And you still don't recognize me. What the hell do I see in you? ShuChan was so much nicer to me." 

He gazed towards the ceiling, a gentle smile playing on his lips. 

"What are you, daydreaming? I've got work to do. Stop wasting my time." 

"Yes, we all know how busy you are. You're such a big important man." His gaze shifted and he saw the silicon chip on Kaiba's workbench, connected to Kaiba's computer. 

"So you've gotten that far. That little hunk of silicon must be your most prized possession right now. So small, so fragile. Looks like it would be so easy to just... smash it..." 

Kaiba stood in Bakura's way. "How do you even know about this project?" 

"How do you think I know, I helped you design that hardware. Of course, if I'd known it would come back and bite me in the ass like this, maybe I wouldn't have been quite so dedicated." 

Kaiba frowned at the strange way Bakura was speaking. 

Bakura gazed into Kaiba's deep blue eyes. "People will look at what you've done and they'll say, "Now, that's true love. That's the truest, purest love there is. But I know the truth." 

He nodded towards the workstation. "That is not a labor of love. That's an act of contrition, performed out of guilt. Guilt, perhaps, because you weren't there for him when he really needed you?" 

Kaiba winced as if stricken. 

As he spoke, Bakura approached slowly. "That's how it always is with you, isn't it, Kaiba. Too little too late. He's gone, Kaiba, but I'm still here. I'm still willing to give you a chance." 

He took Kaiba's face in his hands and kissed him softly on the lips. 

Kaiba took hold of Bakura's wrists. "I don't know what game you're playing--" 

Bakura twisted his arm out of Kaiba's grip, then seized his throat, digging his slender pale fingers into the muscle. 

_"-- Unnh!"_

_-- ssss..._

Kaiba was helpless in Bakura's grasp, his hand like a fiery vise. After Bakura had established his dominance, he let Kaiba fall, gasping for breath and groaning in pain from the handprint burned into his flesh. 

"What are you," he gasped. 

The corner of Bakura's mouth perked. "Think about it, Kaiba. Think real hard." 

Kaiba froze, eyes wide, gaze still set on the floor. It was highly polished marble, so shiny that Bakura was reflected perfectly in its surface. Watching said reflection, Kaiba thought for a moment that he saw a dark figure standing behind Bakura. He shook his head, blinking hard, and when he looked again, the image had vanished. 

He felt Bakura lay his palm flat on the top of his head and winced in anticipation of being burned, but he wasn't. He tried to pull away, but found that he could not move. 

"We'll hold a nice memorial for Mokuba. It'll be a touching, somber affair. But first things first." 

Kaiba watched Bakura walk over to the workbench, numb. He still could not move. He forced his voice through gritted teeth. "Don't--!" 

Although Bakura had every intention of doing it, something stopped him. Kaiba watched as he froze before laying a hand on the precious silicon chip. He lowered his head, hands over his ears. 

_"Unngh!"_

He caught his breath, eyes rimmed with tears, then slowly turned towards the bank of security moniters on the far wall. 

He leaned closer and closer to one of the moniters. Kaiba had no doubt which one had caught his attention. 

Bakura's voice was soft and shaky. "No. Stop it. This is my time. It's my turn..." 

He turned and looked at Kaiba with a mixture of bewilderment, fear, and anger. "That can't be... Right? That's not..."

* * *

"Damnit." 

Fluffy looked over at Ryou. "What's wrong?" 

"My wristwatch is broken. I really wish I could know what time it is, have some idea of how much time we've got." 

"It's still Friday, so..." 

"I don't like it here. I don't like being trapped." He hugged himself. Fluffy put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

"Neither do I. We'll get out of here. We'll make that bitch pay." 

At that moment, the lights came back on. 

They smiled at each other, sighing relief that they got at least one break. 

"Mr. Bakura, there you are." 

A nurse in a candy-striper's uniform came striding up, followed by several shadowy figures. "You need to get back to bed, Mr. Bakura." 

Ryou blinky-blinked. "W-what?" 

Fluffy grabbed his arm. "Ryou, look." 

He looked at Fluffy, who was suddenly wearing hospital pajamas. He then looked down at himself and saw that his outfit was the same. 

"Now, Ryou, don't put up a fight. We just want to help you." Rebecca smiled. "It's really for the best. Grab'em!" 

The shadowy figures turned out to be male nurses. Fluffy and Ryou gasped when he saw their faces. 

"Malik?" 

"Joey?" 

They seized Fluffy, twisting his arms behind his back and taking him to the floor. 

Rebecca sneered at Ryou. "Now... We can do this the easy way..." 

Ryou took a backwards step. "Stay away from me. It's not Saturday yet." 

"That's right. I can't kill _you_ 'til then." She gazed upwards. "Now, let's see... What's worse than death?" 

She turned towards Ryou again, smiling that eerily serene smile. Her blonde hair, which was in a tight bun, came undone. Ryou did not have time to run as it grew very long very quickly, turning jet-black as it snaked around him-- his neck, his wrist and feet, his body-- engulfing him.

* * *

Yugi was standing outside the posh mental facility as K San's cab pulled up. He jumped in, and the cab pulled out as he was swinging the door shut. 

"Thanks so much for coming, K San. I really need to see Malik." 

"He's with Bakura. Don't worry, I'll have you at his hospital room in ten minutes."

* * *

Kaiba took Bakura to sublevel 9, to a room few knew existed. 

In the center of this room was a 9-foot-tall tank filled with green water. The rest of the enormous lab was filled with machines, their sole purpose to maintain the conditions within the tank. 

Bakura stumbled closer, and with every step, the form encased in the tank became clearer, more familiar. He soon came face to face with rendered flesh that had once been a person. 

Kaiba was shocked when Bakura turned to look at him and had tears streaming down his face. 

"This whole time? You've been keeping him alive this _whole time!_ How could you _do this to me?"_

* * *

Fluffy thrashed in the sudden coldness. He was under cold water, his body wrapped in sheets held tight by four people whose faces were distorted through the surface of the water. 

After what seemed like a very long time, he was pulled out of the water, gasping and coughing. He saw the ceiling, which was covered with the soft blue wavy reflections of the water's surface. He was in a public pool. 

Once he knew where he was, he looked more closely at his detainers. His mouth fell open and he stared at them in disbelief. 

He was being held by Honda, Duke, Mai, and Anzu. 

"Welcome back," Anzu said cheerily. 

They turned him so he could see Malik standing on the edge of the pool, wearing a lab coat. He smirked. 

"You know, I've really got you by the balls right now. If this were a movie or a TV show, this would be the point at which I conveniently leave the room so they can finish you, then you'd find some clever way to escape..." 

"Stop wearing that face." 

He arched his brow. "I thought you'd like this. Don't you care about Malik?" 

"I do. That's why I don't want you disgracing that face." 

He slitted his eyes. "Disgrace," he repeated. 

After a few seconds, he nodded, and they pushed Fluffy under the surface again. They held him for a full minute, until Rebecca allowed them to bring him back up. 

After he'd finished coughing and catching his breath, she said, "Yeah, I wouldn't piss me off if I were you." 

"What do you want, you bitch?" 

"Well, I've already got what I need." 

"Ryou." 

"The truth is, I don't need you at all. I thought about letting you go, or maybe even trying to win you over to my side. But I have a feeling you'd refuse--" 

"You bet your sorry ass I would." 

"Okay, then. Any last words?" 

Fluffy craned his neck to get the most direct eye contact he could manage. "See you in the Shadow Realm." 

"Don't wait for me." Rebecca-- still masquerading as Malik-- gave Anzu, Honda, Duke, and Mai a thumbs down, and they pushed Fluffy down again. For good.

* * *

Ryou woke and found himself leaning against a cold stone wall in a dank, shadowy place. He tried to open his eyes, but could not. His eyelids would simply not open. He tried to touch his face, but his arms were bound to his side. As he struggled, he felt and heard the crinkle of plastic. 

He started hyperventilating. 

"Bakura! Bakura! Please...!" 

A familiar voice: "Calm down." 

"Where are you? Is that you, Jouno? Please. Help. Please." 

He heard footsteps gritting in dirt as Jouno walked over to him. He sensed it as Jouno knelt before him, then felt pain as two strips of tape were ripped off of his eyelids. 

He blinked hard. "Joey, we've got to get out of here. Untie me." 

The blonde did not reply. He gazed at Ryou for a few long seconds. His eyes were dark, inscrutable stones glinting in the dim light. 

"... Joey...?" 

He moved towards Ryou. Instead of undoing his restraints, he lifted Ryou into his arms and carried him. 

"What are you doing? Joey!" 

They were in a small, cramped room which resembled a basement. The floor was mud, the walls were stone, and there was only one light in the center of the room. It shone like a spotlight focused on a hole in the earth, a freshly dug grave. 

"Where are we? Answer me!" 

Jouno laid Ryou down in the grave, and, shovel in hand, began to cover him back up. 

"What are you doing, Joey? Please... Stop this. Don't let her control you. Please, don't do this..." Tears began to blur his vision.

* * *

"Why, Kaiba? Why did you do this?" 

Kaiba's gaze did not falter. "Because I need him." 

Bakura blinked through his tears, shocked at Kaiba's response. "Have you lost your mind? What purpose could he possibly serve?" 

"He's more important than you know. I need him." 

"Don't _say that!"_ He shoved Kaiba away and ran at the tank, charging and crashing into the glass with both fists. There were thumping sounds as he hit, but the glass was three inches thick and tempered. 

He laid both palms flat on the surface. "You bastard. You _shit._ You don't deserve to live. You should die. I want you _dead!_" 

The water began to bubble-- it was being boiled by Rebecca's will. 

Kaiba stepped forward and pulled her away. The water stopped bubbling. 

"Stop it! Let go of me!" They struggled and fell to the floor together. Kaiba was shocked to feel Bakura's arms around his midsection as the thief sobbed into his chest. 

"Please... Please no... It's not fair, it's not fair..."

* * *

Yugi's hands trembled as he held the almost-complete Millennium Puzzle. So thoughtful was he that he did not notice the cabbie's maniacal driving. 

"I'll find the last piece, Pharaoh. I'll put the puzzle back together, and somehow, everything will be alright again. Somehow, I'll get you back, and we'll get our friends back. I believe that. I believe in you, Pharaoh."

* * *

**46  
i believe in you  
finish**


	47. Golden Light

**47**

**Golden Light**

* * *

"What are you doing?" 

Bakura didn't answer; his fingers danced over the keys and Kaiba soon found out.

The alarms began to sound as the life-support systems were deactivated.

What the hell do you think you're doing, Bakura?" He took two running steps--

Bakura turned and Kaiba was immediately lost in his deep brown gaze. He heard an unearthly _BOOM_ and before he could know what was happening, he felt the pain as he crashed into the far wall.

_That was Bakura's shadow power... interesting..._ Rebecca smiled through Bakura's eyes.

Ryou's voice: _Bakura! Bakura, please..._

Bakura winced and doubled over as if in pain.

Kaiba watched him struggle and heard Rebecca speak.

"Stop... struggling, BakaChan... You can't help him...!"

He shuddered out a long sigh, and when he stood straight again, it was the true Bakura who met Kaiba's unnerved gaze.

He offered Kaiba nothing more than a cursory glance before he turned on his heel and ran out the door.

He bounded to the elevator, legs pumping as fast as they could.

_I won't let that bitch have you, Ryou! You're mine!_

* * *

When the cab pulled up, Malik was standing out front waiting to greet Yugi. 

Malik, I'm so glad to see you! Please, tell me you have the last piece of the Millennium Puzzle!"

Malik smiled and gave a slight nod, then turned and walked to the entrance doors. Yugi followed.

* * *

"Please! Someone help me!" 

Ryou could not move. Jouno piled more mud over his shivering form, which was wrapped in plastic.

Jouno tamped the mud down with the broad side of the shovel, then set it aside and regarded Ryou.

"Please, Jouno, stop doing this. Let me out of this, please..."

The blonde kneeled beside him and caressed his face. With the tip of his index finger he swept away the tear that stood at the corner of Ryou's eye. Without pausing he seized Ryou's jaw quickly and roughly enough to make him wince.

His voice was a cruel hiss: "You'd better shut the fuck up."

* * *

Yugi looked around the quiet, gloomy emergency room. "What happened here? Where is everybody, Malik?" 

They're all gone. Victims of the curse."

"How horrible..." He fought back his tears and gave Malik a determined look. "Where's the last piece of the Millennium Puzzle?"

Malik smiled, hands clasped behind his back. "Yami's unbeatable."

"Yes, he is." Yugi nodded. "Once he's back with us, that evil girl won't stand a chance!"

"Exactly." At that, Malik swung out, striking Yugi across the eyes. He hit the floor with a sickening thud.

Rebecca regarded him for a few long seconds, smiling.

"Hn." _He really is adorable. Little runt._

Reaching into Yugi's coat and groping around, she found the incomplete Millennium Puzzle, and the Sennen Rod. It did occur to her that she might keep and make some use of the Puzzle, but the risk of the Pharaoh overpowering her was too great.

_The only sure way to get rid of the Pharaoh is to destroy this thing._

* * *

Kaiba worked intensively on the machines, restoring order to the conditions and preserving the life inside the green-watered tank. He scarcely noticed when the PA system came on. 

"Master Kaiba, Bakura just stole one of your cars."

He didn't look up.

"I don't care," he muttered, as if Roland could somehow hear him even though he'd not touched the PA a few feet away.

He soon had the system back online, and the vital signs were strong as ever.

Kaiba gazed intently at the half-lidded eyes before him.

_You didn't think I'd let you die that easily, did you?_

* * *

It was still raining sheets. It hammered on all sides of the car's exterior. The thundering skies and pounding rain were nothing more than white noise to Bakura. 

All he saw was the sweet chocolate of Ryou's eyes.

_BakuChan..._

The car slid in the watery road, going into the oncoming lane. Without missing a beat, Bakura righted it and drove on, faster still.

_You won't have him! Ryou belongs to me!_

* * *

Jouno had covered Ryou's body, but left his face exposed. The cold mud packed around his body was like wet cement, making it impossible to free himself. 

He heard plastic crinkling and Jouno was over him again, smiling.

He saw a wall closing over him, transparent and distorted.

_"NO!"_

It was laid over his face and drawn taut. His instinctual gasp for air only brought a mouthful of plastic.

* * *

Malik brushed the bangs out of Little Yugi's unconscious face. 

_I should just kill him... It makes the most sense..._

_However..._

Maybe it was that he was sleeping, but he was so cute right now that Malik could not do it. Not because he had any misgivings about killing-- that ship had long since sailed-- but because he found himself wanting to keep the little guy.

* * *

The silver Cadillac slammed into a dozen different cars as it wove madly, drunkenly through the maze of the parking lot outside the hospital. It didn't stop so much as _was _stopped; it crashed into an embankment. 

Bakura shoved the airbag out of his face and, jumping out of the car, hit the pavement running. His mad rush was almost abruptly ended, as the sliding doors parted barely in time to get out of his way.

His wet shoes slipped and skidded on the linoleum floor, the rubbery squeals filling the empty rooms and corridors.

_"RYOU!"_

There was no reply. He did not take notice of how dead the place was, only seeing that his hikari was not there.

He stood catching his breath. At first, all he could hear was his drumming pulse and heaving breath.

_... Ryou..._

_BakuChan!_

Bakura immediately perked, eyes wide.

_BakuChan, help!_

He felt himself drawn towards his light and his feet carried him forward. The first few steps were furtive baby steps, but then he snapped out of his daze and broke into a run.

_I must find him!_ He called to his light through their mental link. _Ryou!_

_BakuChan! I can't breathe! Hurry!_

_I'm coming, Ryou!_

* * *

Rebecca stopped at the sound of Bakura's running footsteps as he passed outside. She opened the door a crack and watched him run past and continue down the hall. 

_He's earlier than anticipated. That'll ruin the timing, but at least it'll be in my favor._

She considered the Millennium Puzzle in her hands for a few seconds.

_Just let me get rid of this first._

She was in a janitor's supply closet. In one corner was a large sink; against the wall was a metal shelf unit stocked with supplies.

She put the Puzzle in the sink, then perused the shelves, searching amongst the chemicals for whatever seemed the most destructive.

She found one marked _Acid / Avoid skin contact / Do not inhale fumes_ and chose it.

She opened it and poured the thick blue goop over the Millennium Puzzle.

* * *

Bakura stopped and listened. 

He heard a strange bubbling sound coming from somewhere nearby.

He checked the surrounding rooms. Empty. Empty.

However, in the third room was a gurney with Malik strapped to it. Bakura was stunned at Malik's appearance-- he was vomiting water.

He was laid flat on his back and water was continuously bubbling out of his mouth, as if he were some bizarre fountain sculpture.

_He's drowning..._

Bakura undid the restraints and rolled him onto his side. After a few seconds, the water stopped coming, so Bakura rolled him onto his back again.

He'd seen it before, probably in a TV show. He tilted Malik's head back and pinched Malik's nose shut, then clamped his lips over Malik's and breathed into his lungs. After he did this a few times more, Malik coughed up some more water and opened his eyes.

He blinked up into Bakura's eyes for a few seconds before grabbing him. It felt to Bakura like he was being attacked, and he wasn't too far off.

Malik pulled Bakura down and drew the thief into a passionate kiss.

When it was over, Malik smiled and said, "I knew you cared."

* * *

Rebecca snarled and threw the empty plastic bottle against the wall. "Son of a fucking bitch!" 

She'd poured an entire bottle of acid over the Millennium Puzzle, and it was perfectly fine. In fact, it looked shinier now-- the acid had polished it.

_Now what do I do? I can't let anyone get this._

* * *

Malik and Bakura were standing in a waiting room at the midpoint of the hospital. 

"Let's start from here. I'll search the South, you search the North. That way. We'll find him, Bakura."

Bakura started running. "Hurry! He can't breathe!"

Malik thought, _I love you_ at Bakura's retreating form before turning and beginning his own search.

* * *

When Rebecca tried to pick up the Millennim Puzzle, there was still enough acid on its surface to burn her. She recoiled, tears in her eyes. 

"Damnit! What'd I do to deserve that?"

A voice came from behind her: "Everything."

She turned and her vision was filled with a brilliant golden light. It blasted her and knocked her backwards. She slumped against the wall, shivering, her body feeling numb.

She could only watch as Shadi stepped forward and leaned over the sink.

Turning on the water, he washed the Puzzle clean, then retrieved it.

He met her seething gaze. They stared each other down as he approached, then knelt before her, getting closer...

Rebecca sweatdropped and tried to pull away, her body still weakened. "What are you doing?"

He reached around her. She began to panic. "Stop."

He retrieved the Sennen Rod and stood again.

"You will not win against my Pharaoh." He then vanished.

* * *

_Ryou!_

Ryou was losing it. Instead of replying to Bakura, his thoughts were repeating the same words over and over:

_can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe can't move can't breathe_

_I'm coming, Ryou! I'm closer now!_

He found his light at last, in a small empty room.

Ryou's head was wrapped in plastic. There was a tiny slit in the plastic right over his mouth, affording the most minimal amount of air to enter, but it was not enough to keep Ryou's eyes from glazing.

Falling to his knees beside his light, Bakura tore the plastic away from Ryou's face and pulled him into his arms.

Ryou took in huge gasps, catching his breath. His breathing slowed as he calmed. His arms around Bakura tightened.

"BakuChan... Thank you..."

Bakura held his hikari tight.

"How are we going to get away from her?"

"Don't worry. I know what to do."

* * *

_Fluffy, are you still with me?_

Malik's yami responded over their mental link:

_I knew we were too bad to die._

"Don't speak too soon," he said softly. "There's still Day 7."

_Yeah. Almost over. I'm kinda glad._

Malik stopped in his tracks. "... Glad?" He said it a little louder than he should have, and continued through their mind.

_What the hell do you mean, kinda glad?_

_Just a theory..._

* * *

Ryou led the way, walking with one hand on the wall. "Where is it... I saw it earlier... Oh, here it is." 

He was referring to a black box mounted on the wall by a door marked _Staff Entrance Only._

"This has a clock in it." He peered at its anti-freeze green screen for a few seconds.

"It's 2:13 am." He looked at Bakura. "It's X-mas."

* * *

**47**

**golden light**

**finish**


	48. Dark Embrace

Though it was still raining, it was no longer sheets pouring down. The sky was still hiding behind dark gray clouds.

Bakura took Ryou to the roof of the hospital. He went out first, surveying the area. "See? No reflective surfaces. Let's see the bitch come after us now."

Ryou's steps were small and halting. He winced when the door _skreee_d and slammed shut.

They huddled together behind a shed, Bakura trying to shield his hikari from the icy rain. It calmed to a drizzle after a time, what seemed like no more than an hour. Ryou stood and walked away. Bakura followed him.

"I wish the clouds would part so we could see when the sun rises."

"Yes... Bakura?"

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do?"

"It'll be okay. We'll just stay away from reflective surfaces."

"For the rest of our lives? That's not very realistic."

"Just until tonight. That's the deadline."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"It's just... truth."

"I'm sorry about this. I know I played a part in bringing this all about..."

"I still blame Yugi and the pharaoh. Don't place any blame with yourself."

_skree, skree..._

They stopped, eyes wide and fixed upon each other.

_skree, skreee..._

Bakura's voice was a whisper: "Where the fuck did that come from?"

"I don't know..." Ryou stopped as something behind Bakura caught his attention. Trembling, he could only lift his arm and point in that direction.

"What is it?" Bakura turned to see what it was, but saw nothing at first. Then he realized there was a huge puddle at his feet. It shone with an eerie light that made it seem to be a living thing, giving off a pulsing black-and-white light.

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

Bakura saw the Pharaoh's face reflected in the water, and the words:

_YOU'VE BEENE GOODE TO MEH  
I WANT TO BEH GOODE_

_What the hell does that mean?_

The fateful scene appeared then, of Samara's well.

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

Bakura gasped in surprise and stomped the puddle, destroying the image.

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

The water's surface danced. Bakura backed towards Ryou, shielding him. All at once the water of the puddle came together and rose, solidifying, taking on a humanlike form. The first feature to fully form was the wall of jet-black hair.

Bakura cried out in surprise, backing faster, forcing Ryou backwards. Ryou was clutching Bakura's shirt for dear life. "BakuChan!"

"This isn't right! It's too early!"

Samara said nothing; she stepped towards them in that familiar, disjointed corpse's gait, water and black sludge sloughing off of her body with every step, blood trickling from her sopping wet fingers.

"No! Stay back!" Bakura lost his balance and was now stumbling backwards against Ryou. Ryou was not strong enough to hold Bakura in place.

"Bakura, stop! We're gonna fall!"

By the time the word _fall_ had left Ryou's lips, it had rosen to a scream, as they had tumbled blindly over the edge of the building. They plunged twelve stories.

_"AAAAAAHH!"_

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut as he felt branches and leaves scraping against his skin, threatening to puncture his eyes. Then the pain of hitting the ground. He rolled onto his side, curling into a fetal position, groaning in pain. Trees had slowed the descent, then they had landed in mud. They were lucky. Ryou struggled just to raise his upper torso, leaning his weight on a straightened elbow. He blinked through mud, peering into the darkness.

"Bakura? Bakura! Where are you?"

He was crawling towards Ryou through the bushes, reaching for him. "Ryou..."

They crawled to each other and fell into each others' arms, exhausted and terrified.

"I'm sorry, Ryou."

"BakuChan." Tears clouded Ryou's eyes and choked up his words. "What are we going to do, Bakura? What _can_ we do? How can we stop the curse?"

"I... I don't know..."

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

Ryou clutched Bakura harder as they jumped to their feet together.

"Bakura! Where is it coming from! Where the hell is she!"

They walked out of the bushes to see where exactly they were. Through the gloom Bakura could see the skeletons of picnic tables. They were in an atrium where doctors and nurses could eat their lunches outdoors if they so wished. Bakura didn't care about that. The most important thing right now was that the atrium was surrounded by nice, big picture windows. Samara's well was reflected in every surface-- there must have been at least twenty of them.

"Bakura!"

Samara came out of each and every well-- there were dozens of them, and they were all approaching their side of the looking glass. Bakura and Ryou were surrounded. Bakura wanted to shield Ryou, but they were coming from every possible direction. There was nowhere to go.

Samara came through the surfaces and alighted on the ground, walking towards them, circling in.

Bakura's voice hit its fever pitch. _"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

They paid no mind; they did not slow down. Bakura was teetering on the edge of his sanity. _I have no shadow magic... I can't defend him!_

Tears in his eyes, he muttered, "I don't know what to do...!"

A voice came from nowhere: "Yes you do."

There was a blinding golden flash that made everyone recoil as Shadi appeared before Bakura. He held up the Millennium key, and its light held Samara back.

"Shadi! What are you doing here?" asked Ryou.

"I've come to help you. I have something you need." He presented Bakura with the Sennen Rod. "You know how to save your hikari, Thief. Now is the time."

Slowly, Bakura unsheathed the golden blade, then met Shadi's gaze. "Thank you."

Watching them, the nature of their agreement dawned on Ryou. "Bakura--"

Bakura turned towards him and the dead serious glint in his eyes frightened Ryou. He backed away a couple of steps, but Bakura seized him easily and held him close, raising the blade to his hikari's throat. "I'm sorry, Ryou, this is the only way to save you."

"What are you talking about? How will killing me save me!"

"I can't save your _life_." Bakura leaned closer and Ryou felt his breath on his earlobe. "I can't save your life, but if I kill you before she gets you, your soul will be safe. That's what really matters."

Tears streamed down Ryou's face. "Please don't do this!"

He tried to pull away-- Bakura yanked him back and gripped him harder, making him whimper in pain.

"Bakura... Please..."

"Hurry," said Shadi, "You must do it now."

"Yes." He kissed Ryou's face gently. "I'm sorry, Ryou."

He dragged the blade across Ryou's throat and blood spurted out in twin jets. Ryou fell to his knees, then collapsed facedown.

"Good," said Shadi. "Now it's your turn."

Bakura nodded, and without a moment's hesitation, drove the blade still wet with his hikari's blood into his own heart.


	49. You Forget, You Belong to Me

You Forget Who I Am

* * *

He was weak-- his body felt so heavy that he could not even lift his eyelids. He was laying on his side, and sensed another body laying before him. 

"... BakuChan...? Where... are we...?" It was a struggle just to get those words out.

He felt Bakura caress his hair, brushing his bangs aside and kissing his eyelids. "You're safe now, Ryou."

"Why can't... I... move...?"

"You just need to rest. Don't worry about it."

He still couldn't open his eyes.

"Stop trying to open your eyes, Ryou. There's no need to do that. We're safe here."

"Where is... 'here'?"

"The only place she cannot reach. You are the blade, now, and I'm the sheath that holds you."

Arms encircled him, and Bakura's warmth was pressed against him. "We'll stay here forever, in this embrace. I love you, Ryou."

Though Bakura's words and the eerie tone in which they were spoken terrified Ryou, he still could not move.

* * *

"Oh, man... Something's wrong here." 

"What do you mean?"

"Look at these cars, they're all smashed up."

Yuki glanced towards the side, at the parked cars around them. The parking lot looked like they'd just held a demolition derby-- most of the cars had been rammed into.

"Rebecca said she didn't want to kill anymore. I know she meant it when she said it. So what went wrong?"

"You."

"Huh?" ShuChan looked over at his lover. "What do you mean?"

"You're a moron. She goes on a rampage, and you think a few kind words and a pity fuck would change her mind?"

"You bastard. You could at least be thankful that I did it for you, or get jealous that I was with someone else!"

"I don't care."

ShuChan started to cry.

* * *

"Hey! Yugi!" 

Malik found Yugi laying in the emergency ward and managed to wake him.

"Hey, Yugi, when did you get here?"

He slowly opened his eyes and saw Malik. "Oh," he said groggily. "I guess that wasn't you after all."

"Rebecca, huh?"

Yugi nodded.

"Well, just be glad she didn't kill you. Actually, I'm surprised."

Yugi sat up on his own. "What's going on? Is Fluffy with you?"

Malik's hair shot up into spikes and Fluffy smirked, "Right here."

"Please, does either of you have the last piece--" He stopped, his hands burrowing into his pockets. "Oh, no!"

He searched his person frantically and came up with nothing. "They're gone. The Millennium Puzzle and Sennen Rod. She took them!"

"It's going around," said Malik. "We can't find Ryou."

He instantly turned into Fluffy. "But he has the last piece."

Yugi pounced and grabbed Fluffy's arms. "Really? He has it?"

He nodded, "Yep. I remember 'cause he used it to light up the hallway when the lights went out."

"Hey, where is everybody?"

They looked up to see ShuChan and Yuki coming in. ShuChan caught sight of them and ran over.

"What's going on? Rebecca couldn't have done this."

Malik nodded. "Sad but true. Damnit, she's like a fucking cockroach, or the psycho-killer from one of those old horror franchises, just doesn't know how to die."

ShuChan and Malik helped Yugi to his feet. "Maybe I can find her and talk to her--"

Yuki interjected, "I think you've done enough damage."

"Is that why you kept wanting to do it again and again? Were you trying to keep me away from here?"

Yuki rolled his eyes and tossed his old cigarette, then started up a new one.

"You know, you're not supposed to smoke in here."

"No one's alive to complain."

Yugi said, "Please, everyone, we have to focus and find the Puzzle!"

"What good is it? The Pharaoh's already dead..."

"No he's not!" Yugi clenched his little fists, the glint in his eyes more fiery than ever. "He's sealed in the puzzle, I know he is! I just need to put it back together again!"

ShuChan's head was swimming. "I'm so confused right now..."

"But it does make sense," said Fluffy. "He was technically already dead. If his new body was destroyed, the most logical thing to do would be..."

He turned back into Malik and continued, "And she never wanted to keep the puzzle, because she was afraid of him. He always wins. It's actually kind of irritating."

Fluffy-- "But it'll be good this time, because he'll be defeating our enemy."

Malik-- "So true, Grasshopper." He nodded solemnly.

Watching this, ShuChan wondered aloud, "How does he get his hair to do that?"

* * *

Shadi sneered down at Ryou and Bakura's still-warm bodies, their faces being rained on. Slowly, the images of Samara vanished. 

Shadi walked towards them, almost waltzing in his glee. When he spoke, his Egyptian accent was gone. "Thanks for doing the right thing... Morons."

Kneeling beside Bakura, he took hold of the Sennen Rod.

Standing tall again, he caught a vague glimpse of himself reflected in one of the windows-- a pale glob, nothing more.

"Ugh..." _There's no way in hell I'm gonna start my new life in this butt-ugly form. New Host Body, stat. And I know exactly which one I want. _

He twirled the Sennen Rod, smirking to himself. "Still so much to do. So many loose ends to sever... This'll be fun."

* * *

He whispered, "Don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, okay?" 

Fluffy responded through their mental link: _Yeah, yeah, what's up? _

The group had split up to search for Ryou, the tomb keeper and his darkness were alone.

"I don't think we'll find Ryou in time. Bakura said something about how he couldn't breathe..."

_Bakura couldn't breathe..._

"No, Ryou. Bakura said Ryou was suffocating somewhere. But the brain can only go without oxygen for, like, five minutes or so. Then brain death. It's been longer than five minutes." He felt the sting of tears.

_He's okay. I bet Bakura found him already, that's why he hasn't made contact with us, he's off with Ryou somewhere._

"Or maybe something has happened to them both."

_What's with all the cheery thoughts?_

"I'm just... scared..."

_Well, knock it off. Bakura and I are badass evil spirits. We don't die, and we don't allow our hikaris to die. Tomorrow morning we'll all be laughing at this. _

"That would be nice if it was true." He sniffled and wiped away the stray tear that escaped.

* * *

ShuChan and Yuki were together, as ShuChan wanted to keep an eye on Yuki. The only illumination was the glow of Yuki's cigarette as they went down the hall, checking each hospital room. 

Yuki sucked in a drag and poofed it out. "This would make an interesting novel," he mused coolly.

ShuChan sweatdropped. "Yeah, well, if we all don't die tonight you can type it up and win another Nookie award..."

"That's _Naoki_, Moron."

"Yeah, whatever! Can you please just focus? Someone's in real trouble here--" He stopped in his tracks, hugging himself. "Shit, I'm frozen all of a sudden. What the hell's going on...?"

Behind him, he heard Yuki sigh. This was not strange, Yuki often growled and sighed when he was feeling impatient. However, this sigh was not one of annoyance-- it was a sigh of almost orgasmic pleasure.

He turned and Yuki was gazing down at the half-smoked cigarette in his hands. "Funny, how we forget the small pleasures..." he said softly.

"Yu... Yuki...?"

He looked down at the pink-haired bishie and smiled serenely. Keeping eye contact with Shuichi, he dropped the spent cigarette to the tile floor and tamped it out with his shoe. Then he let out a gentle sigh.

"Who are--unnh!""

Before he could react, Yuki's hands were clamped around his throat, forcing him backwards to crash into the wall. Yuki's grip tightened enough to make his hands tremble. In the gloom, he could not see the older man's eyes, but he could see that Yuki's mouth was twisted into a sneer.

_This isn't Yuki! Not Rebecca either! Who are you?_

_ssssss..._

Fiery pain surrounded Shuichi's throat in an agonizing vise. His vision was filled with blotchy black patches as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Hiro placed a cool wet towel on Ayaka's forehead. "Is this okay, Miss Ayaka?" 

"Yes, Thank you, Nakano-San."

"Please call me Hiro."

"Okay... Hiro."

"Call me if you need anything else." With those words, he left her laying on the couch in the livingroom of their room at the Tetra. He walked into the kitchen, where K San was drinking some coffee.

"K San, do you think Shindo and the others are doing alright?"

K San took a long, meaningful slurp of coffee. "Yeah, They're fine."

* * *

Yugi walked slowly, eyes closed, one hand against the wall, trying to sense the Pharaoh, getting nothing. 

_Please, Other Me... I can't go on wihout you! I've already lost so many of my friends... The friends you brought into my life...!_

He gasped as something caught his eye-- a small flicker of golden light.

It was far down the corridor, at floor-level. Yugi took a couple of furtive steps in that direction, wondering if it could be...

Just then lightning flashed outside. The pale gray light streamed into the window, backlighting the object on the floor, its triangular shape.

_It's the puzzle!_ He ran towards it.

The space around the puzzle rippled, like heat waves rising off the asphalt on a hot day. The air darkened and took shape, becoming a human form which sat cradling the puzzle in its lap. Yugi slowed to a stop before her.

"Rebecca, please... I need the puzzle."

She was dirty and wet, as if she'd just been dragged out of her grave. Her blonde hair was dingy and sopping wet with mud, and hung about her head, covering most of her face. She tilted her head back and stared into him with one cold, angry eye.

Her voice was small and soft, and had a dry emptiness to it: "It won't help you."

He reached for it. "... Please..."

He recoiled when someone appeared behind Rebecca, standing almost as tall as the ceiling. He lost his balance and fell on his ass. The person stepped forward, his image becoming clearer. Yugi recognized Yuki's face, but knew right away that the man was possessed.

"So you're the pharaoh's conduit. You don't look like much."

Yugi stood his ground, resisting the impulse to back away from the imposing figure. "You! You killed my friends! I'll never forgive you!"

He laughed, advancing a little faster now.

"What are you gonna do, Child, challenge me to a game?"

"What's wrong, afraid to play?" At this moment, he took his first step backwards.

"I'm not some stupid punk kid." He snatched Yugi by the arms then, lifting him to eye level. Tears welled up in Yugi's eyes.

_Pharaoh! Please help!_

"So tiny, this little body... Mmh..." He nuzzled the hollow where Yugi's neck and shoulder met. Yugi shuddered.

"Let's take a look..." Laying Yugi on the cold tile floor, he pulled at Yugi's clothing, removing his shirt.

Rebecca got closer, frowning at the proceedings. "What are you doing? Why don't you just kill him?"

"Can't waste this opportunity. Feeling jealous?"

She didn't answer.

He ran his hand up and down the smooth, pale expanse of Yugi's chest. Yugi was frozen with fear.

Only when the large male hands tried to undo Yugi's pants did he find the courage to resist. "No! Stop!"

For his trouble, Yugi got an iron fist to the face and a floor crashing into the back of his head. Then Yuki's hands were closing around his throat and pressure was building up in his face as he was throttled. Tears filled his eyes, blurring his vision.

Yuki was not trying to kill Yugi; it was just enough pressure to keep him subdued. Yuki took one hand away and worked at Yugi's pants. Distracted by his lack of oxygen, Yugi had no idea what was going on until the searing pain of penetration broke through. He was being raped.

Standing by, Rebecca watched, numb.

She heard his moans of pleasure as he raped Yugi, saw the motions of his thrusts, felt the hand around Yugi's neck as if it were happening to her.

_It's all the same..._

_"STOP IT! STOP IT!!!"_

He looked up at her, but kept thrusting into Yugi. "You forget who I am--"

She let the anger welling up within her burst out, directing it towards the rapist before her.

_-- SKREEEEEEE!!!!!_

He fell away from Yugi, writhing on the floor, crying out in pain.

"NO!" she screamed, "_YOU_ FORGET WHO _I_ AM! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS ANYMORE!!"

* * *

You Belong to Me 

* * *

The pain and screams faded, and Yugi was enveloped in darkness. 

He did not know where he was, nor did he waste time wondering. He sleepily observed the floor below-- it was brick, unmistakably Ancient Egyptian.

He wanted to kneel and touch the cool, hard brick, confirm that it was real. He tried to extend his hand, and he got closer to it, but his arm did not reach for it. In fact, he could not see his arm, or sense it the way he normally could. He tried to look down at himself and saw nothing.

_"What...???"_

He willed himself to move, and he did, but he did not take a step or shift his stance, he merely lilted on the air, like a dust mote.

_Oh no... I've become a floating spirit. I really have died!_

* * *

_"STOP IT!! STOP IT!!!"_

Malik whirled around, sucking in a huge gasp. "What the hell was _that_!?"

He turned into his yami, who broke into a run, heading straight for the source of the screams.

They found Yugi and Eiri Yuki laying on the floor, not moving.

"Oh, shit, what happened to them? Are they okay?" panted Malik.

Fluffy knelt down and peered into their faces. "They're gone", he said. "Someone banished them to the Shadow Realm..."

Something caught his eye and he snatched it up. "With this." It was the Sennen rod.

They found the Millennium Puzzle close by.

"But it's missing a piece. You said Ryou has it, right, Fluffy?"

"Yeah, so it should be safe. We just have to find those two."

"I wonder how they're doing right now... Rebecca, that rotten little bitch."

"Where is she", Fluffy wondered aloud, "where would she have gone?"

"Okay, think. What was Samara's motivation in _The Ring_?"

"I think we've long since established that she's not Samara. That was just a movie."

"But she's still a girl. A damaged girl with a broken heart."

* * *

_Found it in Egypt... It's for you... I feel like you're meant to have it..._

_Dad, I hate you so much._

He felt like this was the perfect time to cry, but no tears came. He felt so cold and alone, even as he was warmed in Bakura's embrace. Bakura had not spoken or moved in quite some time now.

Ryou still couldn't move or open his eyes. He couldn't fight the feeling that if he tried to speak, he would be unable to part his lips. All he could do was rue the day his father had given him the Millennium Ring and let depression take him deeper and deeper inside himself.

_Is this what it's like to be sealed in the Millennium Items? A person could go mad..._

* * *

_"Yami! Yami, PLEASE!!"_

Yugi was overcome with frantic fear as he moved through the labyrinthine interior of what could only be the Millennium Puzzle.

_He's here! He must be! If I just keep searching, I'll find him!_

_"Yugi..."_

A figure loomed in the corridor ahead, standing in the shadows. Yugi recognized the star-shaped hair immediately.

_"Yami?"_ If Yugi had had a physical form, he would've wept.

He lifted his arms, offering Yugi his embrace.

_"Come here, Yugi..."_

_"Yami!!"_ Overjoyed, he made a beeline--

-- And stopped cold. It was as if Yami were surrounded by an invisible barrier-- once he crossed it, an icy fear seized him and he felt as if he should not proceed.

_What is this... frightening aura? "Yami?"_

He was able to see Yami's eyes now, and the sight made him feel sick. They were not the bold crimson eyes of his true love-- they were golden eyes that gleamed with a demonic light.

The imposter sneered, annoyed at having been found out.

"I said _come here_!"

He reached for Yugi and long black tendrils of hair shot out, snatching Yugi's spirit and drawing him in.

_"NO! YAMI!! HELP!!"_

He held Yugi in his hands, laughing as Yugi struggled to get free. "The Pharaoh won't help you. You belong to me now, got it?"

* * *

Ryou felt and heard when Bakura suddenly shifted positions, but was startled to hear him whimper in pain. 

As if a spell had been lifted, he was able to open his eyes and move now. He leaned up on one elbow, looking over at Bakura.

The thief king lay whimpering and grimacing in pain, but Ryou could not see anything happening to him.

"Bakura, what's wrong? Are you having a nightmare? Wake up."

He reached for his yami, intending to wake him, but before he could touch Bakura's arm, something came over him-- an intense feeling of being weighed down, as if the gravity had suddenly multiplied. His arm fell and thumped on the stone surface, dead weight. His fear became agony when he felt the pain, a white-hot bolt of lightning that traveled up his spine, frying his innards. It sustained, and he wanted to scream, but his jaw was clamped shut. All he could do was grimace and whimper, like Bakura. Through the haze and pain he felt himself growing weaker.

* * *

Hot tears streaked down his bronze face, a sharp contrast to the cold rain. 

"Oh..." He choked back a sob. "Oh, Gods, oh, dear Gods, they're cold..."

Malik's head fell forward and his body shuddered. When he looked up again, he was his yami.

Fluffy scooped Ryou's cold, motionless body into his arms and carried him inside.

"Emergency room", said Malik. "Doctors..."

He ran in that direction, laying Ryou on a gurney, but not knowing what to do next.

He shook his head. His voice sounded small and dry as he muttered, "It's not like I can wrap some gauze around his neck..."

He turned back into Malik, who began to sob.

After a minute or two, still sniffling, he stumbled outside to where Bakura lay. He kneeled beside the thief and tried to wake him.

"He's already dead", Fluffy told him.

Malik broke into a new string of sobs, and Fluffy was at a loss.

_Please..._ He didn't know what to tell his hikari. _Don't cry. I'm still here..._

He stayed within their mind, listening as Malik wept, watching Bakura's face. He kept expecting him to wake, but not even a single muscle twitched. After a few minutes, Malik seemed to calm down.

He caressed Bakura's cold, clammy face. "I understand now. This was your solution... the only way to save your souls." He kissed Bakura's icy lips. He then whispered, "I love you."

He took the thin, pale corpse into his arms and carried him inside so Ryou and Bakura could be together.

* * *

KT: Sorry it took so long to update! I just couldn't get to the library, stuff kept coming up.


End file.
